Observations
by King Paige Allen
Summary: A story or what Katniss and Peeta's life would be like if they had never been picked for the reapings. Very, very AU- you've been warned. I own nothing. BACK ON FOR THE MOMENT!
1. Chapter 1

**Teem Peeta here, homies. I freakin love Peeta. Dumb Gale. Lol. I just finished the second book today, and I'm getting the third one tomorrow, so... Yeah. This is coming from the-first-two-books-knowledge. Don't hate. If I find any serious inconsistencies, I'll change it, but try not to hate too much. Here goes!  
>Team Peeta! Did I mention that?<strong>

Peeta loved Katniss Everdeen. He'd loved her since he could remember. In school, she'd always been so happy to be around people, so happy to learn. She always wore her hair in twin braids over her shoulders and always had a colorful dress. Peeta liked the red plaid one on her the best- he thought it looked lovely with her olive skin. She always went home to a happy family. She and her father could sing so well the birds would stop to listen, and her mom always had something for them to eat. Even in the Seam, they were happy. And Peeta was happy having a crush on her.

She was so pretty. Even in kindergarten, when he first started liking her, he knew that he loved her. And sometimes, when they had an easy day of school, like when they were let out early, the teachers would let the kids go in the run-down gym and play. Katniss always took a book and sat in a corner, and Peeta sat a safe distance away and watched her. Sometimes he just imagined the things he would say to her, the sweet things he would whisper when they got married. Other times, when she looked espcecially pretty or he felt especially confident, he would imagine what it would be like to hold her hand. Or... kiss her. Yes, in the third grade, he imaging kissing Katniss Everdeen. He thought she would taste like summer and fruit. He didn't like to think it was stalking, just... observing. Sometimes when she read she would giggle and sometimes her face would get red and sometimes she would yell at the characters in the story. And other times, she played with her friend Madge.

Madge was the mayor's daughter. She was priveledged in material things- she always had fancy, lacey dresses and hair ribbons the other girls would kill for- but lacked an abundance of family time. Her father was the mayor, so of course he was busy, but not Peeta, or anyone, for that matter, had ever seen Madge's mother. Did she even have one? Peeta didn't know.

And then, when they were still growing up, Katniss's father died. He worked in the mines when an explosion took his life. They didn't even have a body to bury. Then, when they would be allowed in the gym where most of the kids stood in circles and talked, Katniss would stare out the window. Peeta was a little more afraid to watch her now, for fear she would get so upset at looking outside that she would turn and see him staring at her, but that didn't stop him from watching the girl he loved.

Peeta's friends left him alone when he was having Katniss time. Sure, they teased him when he wasn't gawking at her from across the room, but when he was actually doing it, they left him alone. When the day of Katniss's father's funeral came around, Katniss missed school. It was just logical. But Peeta was afraid that her family would be mourning off without her, so he decided to take Katniss's work to her.

A light snow covered the ground, giving a refreshing clean look to the coal dust-coated buildings in the Seam. Peeta trudged through the roads with Katniss's books under his arm, and then he finally came to her door. He saw a woman through the window that was close to the door and realized how extremely pregnant she was. The baby looked like it would come at any moment, and Peeta thought it was handy that she was so good at medicine.

Peeta heard the woman crying and wondered if he should turn back, but also thought this would be a good time for condolences. He lightly knocked on the door and stepped back, waiting for it to open. When it did, Katniss stood there, dressed in a dark green shirt and black pants that... fit her well.

"Uh..." Peeta stammered. He looked at Katniss, who was leaning patiently against the doorframe, and noticed she was not crying. He said quietly, "I'm sorry about..." Katniss nodded once and said, "Thank you." Peeta nodded like Katniss, and then held out her books. "I, uh, brought your school things. We had a lot in, uh, math, and I didn't want you to get behind, so..." He trailed off, looking at her face. She frowned, then took her books. She said quietly, "You were worried I'd get behind?"

Her voice sounded so sad and forlorn that Peeta just wanted to hug her, but instead he nodded his head and tried to smile. "Yeah. Will I see you tomorrow?" Katniss bit her lip and shook her head. "No," she said quietly, "I'm going to accept a medal on his behalf. But I'll probably be back the day after that. Thank you for bringing my work."

They were both silent, staring at the ground, until Peeta started to feel awkward. "So... just let me know if you need help with anything... Okay?" Katniss nodded, no expression on her face. Peeta nodded once again, then waved halfheartedly. "Bye, Katniss..." he whispered.

Peeta thought about all of this as he swept the porch in front of his family's bakery. He swept the dust onto the ground and looked up, seeing the tree where he'd last actually seen Katniss. It was where he gave her the bread after his mother had screamed at her for going through the garbage. Peeta and his family had to eat the stale bread that nobody else wanted, but he couldn't imaging having to go through the trash, or, even worse, eating what you found there. It was one of the times he remembered most when he thought _he_ had it bad.

It was a really slow day in the bakery when Peeta saw her. She was creeping along the bushes with _Gale_, the only person he really didn't like in his school. The one person, besides his mother, who stood between him and Katniss being together. Ever sine they started being friends, Katniss and Gale, Peeta couldn't stand him. Katniss had met Gale in the woods a while after her father died, when she became the real man of the house. Peeta had never spoken to Gale, but he could tell by the way he looked at her that he was a threat to Peeta ever telling Katniss he loved her.

Katniss had a bow slung over her shoulder and a quiver on her back, and Gale had a knife in his belt and a bunch of rope over his shoulder. Peeta watched as they stopped and talked for a second, pointing to the fence and tentatively poking it. Then, Gale turned to make sure nobody was watching as they prepared to crawl under the fence to hunt illegally, an act punishable by death, and saw Peeta.

He felt ridiculous, standing there in an apron holding a broom, but did not avert his gaze from Gale's. Gale stood there, challenging him to scream and yell and point at the illegal poachers, but he didn't. He would never do that, if only because it would get Katniss in trouble. He didn't care what happened to Gale.

Gale kept his eyes locked on Peeta's while he reached around and grabbed Katniss's shoulder. Katniss looked up, startled, and asked Gale what he was staring at. Gale pointed to Peeta, who instantly felt shy under Katniss's gaze, holding his broom on the sweet shop porch.

Peeta treasured every moment that Katniss stared at him, and he pretended that she was asking him if he loved her while she looked so deeply at him and then they would run far, far away from him mother and Gale, but she wasn't doing any of those things. He could think that at night all he wanted, but she wasn't saying those things to him in real life.

Instead, Katniss stared at him and put one finger over her lips, and Peeta could tell she made a shushing sound. She kept her finger there for a few moments, then moved her hand to her stomach and rubbed. She was hungry.

Peeta would give her all the food she wanted. He wasn't sure how good the food would _be_, but he wouldn't eat if it meant she would be full. He stared at her for a moment, wishing she was begging him to run away with her and wondering how it would taste to kiss her lips after she ate the strawberries she always found and took to the mayor, but then remembered what was happening. He nodded subtly, looked both ways, and then went back to his sweeping.

_Oh, how he loved Katniss Everdeen..._

**Good? Bad? Tell me what you thought! Usually I only do Twilight (which I don't anymore- this is my new book obsession) and the Legend of Zelda (which I still very much do) and this is my first Hunger Games fic. I loved the PeetaXKatniss idea so much I had to write this, and I love Peeta. He is smokin'. :)**

**Should I continue? I think I want to but not if people won't read it... Lol. Let me know what you thought! Reviews, only positive ones, make me smile and PM's are welcome too. **

**~Paige**


	2. Chapter 2

Later that day, Katniss and Gale came in the sweet shop- Peeta's mother was gone so Katniss was allowed in the store, and Peeta's dad was quite fond of her- with three rabbits and two squirrels. Katniss, as usual, had shot the rabbits straight through the eye so the meat wouldn't be ruined, and took them off Gale's belt to lay them on the counter. Peeta's father noticed the especially fat rabbit and said, "How about two loaves of bread for these?" He put his hand on the rabbit. Katniss eagerly nodded and pushed the rabbits toward him. Then she noticed Peeta behind his huge father, icing cookies.

He felt he couldn't have been caught doing a girlier thing, but smiled anyway, hoisting the piping bag further up on his shoulder. Katniss eyed the sugar cookies that Peeta was painting tiger lilies on hungrily, then said, "Hi... Peeta."

Peeta felt ecstatic. She knew his name! That meant he was one step closer to making her fall in love with him and eloping and leaving Gale behind to shoot dumb little squirrels. He said, "Hi, Katniss." He saw her staring at the cookies while his father went and got the bread, and Peeta pointed. "You want one?" he asked, not even looking at Gale. He didn't care what Gale wanted.

Katniss hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "No," she said, frowning, "I couldn't- I don't have anything to trade for them." Peeta shrugged and laid down the bag, picking up a cookie. "This one's on the house," he said, feeling confident. Gale's furious look encouraged him further. He picked up a cookie and held it toward Katniss, and she inhaled. "Are you sure?" she asked through clenched teeth. Peeta nodded and smiled, and Katniss slowly took it from him. "Thank you," she said, admiring the flower pattern on the top.

Her eyes widened and she smiled a little, then looked up at Peeta. "I don't want to ruin it, it's so pretty," she stammered. Peeta smiled at her and said, "I'm glad you think so. Now eat it!" he laughed. She laughed too and tossed the small cookie in her mouth. She covered her mouth with her hand as she chewed, and closed her eyes. Peeta knew how it felt to close your eyes with emotions like that.

She swallowed and said, "Oh, Peeta, that was so good!" Then she blushed and frowned at Gale. "I should've saved some for Prim." Gale shrugged and took one loaf of bread under his arm and stormed out. Katniss looked embarassed on his behalf, but Peeta noticed she hardened a little, too. She picked up the loaf of bread and said goodbye as Peeta's father left to go bake more bread. She leaned in toward Peeta and whispered gruffly, "Thanks... for not ratting. I owe you." Peeta leaned back, still shivering at her warm breath on his ear, and shook his head. "You don't owe me anything."

She frowned, a look Peeta didn't like on her, and nodded. "Yes, I do. I'll make it up somehow." Peeta waited for her to try and throw up the cookie or something crazy like that, but instead she did something Peeta would replay in his head again and again.

She kissed her palm and pressed it to his cheek.

It was fleeting- the touch was almost like a soft slap- but he felt it. She then drew her hand back, nodded at Peeta, and then took her bread and left. Peeta sighed after her, wishing he would've pulled her in and kissed her right there. He looked down at the tiger lily cookies, and then knew he could never look at them the same way again.

XOXOXO

Peeta was woken by his mother, who was hitting her ceiling and Peeta's floor with the end of a broom. Peeta remembered the story that his father had told him, about how he wanted to marry Katniss's mother, and wished he did. But, he thought again, then Katniss would be his sister. He couldn't marry his sister.

He threw the covers over his head and groaned. The only reason he even got up to go to school was to watch Katniss solve problems in math. She was good, and he needed help in it. He wanted to ask her, she sat up one seat and to the right of him, but he never could. He was afraid he would just sit there with his mouth open and she would laugh.

He had never heard her laugh. He was sure it was nice- it had to be. With her beautiful voice- which he'd only heard whenever she came in to trade with his father or when she quietly answered a question in math or science- it had to be. He tried to imagine her laugh- would it tinkle or be deep in her throat?- but knew he was probably wrong.

His mother had just woken him up from a wonderful dream, where Katniss had come up to him at lunch and, in front of all of his friends, professed her undying and passionate love for him, then kissed him. On the mouth. His friends were all jealous- they didn't think Katniss looked too bad- but would find another girl. There would never be another girl for Peeta. He would have Katniss or die alone.

Peeta slowly rolled out of his bed and got dressed- just a blue shirt and black pants, and the boots he wore everyday- and then found his bookbag. As he slowly made his way down the narrow staircase that led to the small house above the sweet shop, he found his mother, her hair pinned back and an apron tied around her waist, pulling a tray out of th eoven above the fire. His mother did not acknowledge him, but his father, who was gaving change back to an early customer, smiled. "Morning, Peeta," he said. The customer waved. Both of Peeta's brothers ate, but Peeta just left for school.

As he walked in the school building, he saw Katniss making her way toward her first class, which was also his first class. Math. She put her books down on the desk and then noticed Peeta watching her. As soon as their eyes made contact, Peeta looked away. He wished he could stare in her deep gray eyes forever, but couldn't bring himself to look back until he knew she wouldn't punch him. He'd seen her punch someone before. It'd only happened once, but someone said something about Prim and she took them down. One swing of her fist and she was sent home and the boy sent to the nurse.

She walked by him and down the hall. Peeta stood in the room alone, relishing the feel of her rushing by him. Her side brushed up against his front as she pushed between him and the desk in front of him. Peeta noticed that there was only ten minutes until class started, so he sat down, got out a piece of paper, and began to draw. He loved to paint, but in order to start painting, you had to be able to sketch it out. You did in Peeta's case, anyway.

He wrote out the two words on the scrap paper in his finest scrpit, then added bars to them, making parts of the letters block while leaving the tails and other smaller parts to curl elegantly. The letters formed almost instantly, and then Peeta shaded the parts where the light would create a shadow, if there were a light above it. The words, _Katniss Mellark,_ covered almost all of the paper, and Peeta remembered that he would have to do this on better paper and paint it nicely. For when they were really married.

He drew a tail off the bottom leg of the 'K' in 'Mellark' and then looped it around to form a heart. He had just started shading this in when his math teacher came up behind him and chuckled. "Isn't it supposed to be the girls who draw their first names on your last?" Peeta blushed and slid the piece of paper under his math book. "Umm..." he said. The teacher chuckled and sat down next to him. "It's alright, Peeta. I've known for a long time. I'll look up to ask you a question during the lesson and I'll see you staring at her so... lovingly that I just let it go. Actually, we'll be moving seats today, so I'll see if I can sneak you in next to her." He winked and stood up just as the bell rang, then moved to the front of the room. The kids filed in and took their seats, but before they could unpack their things the teacher raised a hand.

"Class, don't get too comfortable. We're moving seats today." Everyone stood up and grabbed ther things, and Peeta noticed Katniss looking around the room. Who did she hope she would get? Peeta wanted to get her. The teacher started telling people where their new seats were, starting in the front and moving to the back. He pretended he couldn't see Peeta or Katniss and left them for last. He looked puzzled when he saw them standing there, and Peeta's stomach dropped. He would get to sit by Katniss for an entire marking period! His breath whooshed out as he directed Katniss and Peeta to a pair of seats in the very back of the class.

Katniss sat without a complaint, and Peeta sat by her. He stared straight ahead but watched her out of the corner of his eye as she unpacked her things. She moved so smoothly and Peeta couldn't help but admiring her long fingers. Now he knew how she was so skilled with a bow.

"Alright class, page 343, work with your partners and do problems 1 through 15." Peeta looked up at the teacher and saw he was smiling in his direction. Peeta waited for Katniss to speak first. She flipped throug her book, as did Peeta, then said quietly, "How about you do the odds and I'll do the evens?" That left Peeta with one more problem than Katniss, but he didn't care. She started on her work and Peeta did too, while trying to think of how to bring up the sweet shop. Her kiss. The heart-stopping, ground-shaking kiss that she put on his cheek.

She sat, however, in silence, and didn't appear to be itching to bring it up. Peeta kept saying to himself, _Now, say it now!_ But he couldn't. If Katniss was fine with not saying anything about it, he would be fine with him too. He didn't want to rush their imaginary relationship.

"Number seven is wrong," Katniss said quietly, a small smile on her face. Peeta blushed and quickly erased most of his work, but Katniss put a hand on his. He froze, and she leaned closer to him, so much that she was pressed up against his arm. He held his breath in wait, and she went on. Katniss wrote back the letters he erased and Peeta noticed her small, neat numbers. She fized the part he had right and stopped where he messed up. "There," she said in her quiet way. "Keep going."

Peeta tried not to scream in excitement as Katniss stayed leaned over his arm while he wrote. He focused on trying to make the mubers look like Katniss's when she stopped him again. "Right there," she said, pointing to the last thing it wrote. "Since you're dividing by a negative you have to flip that around so it says "X is greater than 32+5". Got it?" Peeta nodded and bit his bottom lip, trying to hold in his smile. Katniss watched as he wrote in the corrected sign and then finished out the problem. "X equals 38?" Peeta asked. Katniss gave a smile that did not show her teeth and nodded, then turned back to her own work. Peeta sighed and kept working, in his new seat next to Katniss.

XOXOXO

The bell rang much too soon for Peeta's liking. Katniss closed her paper in the book and looked at Peeta. "Can... uh, can I sit with you at lunch? You can get the even answers and I'll get the odds." She held her bag and didn't look at him, like she was waiting to be rejected. Peeta asked, "You want to sit with me?" She nodded to the floor, then added on, "If that's okay." Peeta smiled, then smiled bigger, then grinned at Katniss. "Yeah," he said, picking up his bag, "yeah. Come on!" Katniss followed the path he'd made through all the kids in the grade under them as they walked to the lunch room. Peeta led them to the table with all of his friends.

They sat on the end, not bothering to get any food, and opened their books again. They put Katniss's paper in front and Peeta copied it, and then they traded. One of Peeta's friends, Tayte, came up to them and sat down on the other side of Katniss and Peeta, who were sharing a bench. "Katniss, I think?" Tayte said. Tayte was very tall, one of the tallest kids in the grade, and muscular. Katniss nodded and then looked back to her book. "Peeta!" Tayte crowed, holding out his arms. "You finally got her to sit with you!" Peeta gave Tayte the worst glare he could, and made a fist when Katniss wasn't looking. His eyes opened wide and then he mouthed, "Kat- ohhh, Katniss. Okay," he said, standing up to move further down the table to join their friends, "I'll leave you alone."

Peeta kept glaring until Tayte had sat down far enough away to where he couldn't hear them. Katniss finished the problem and then gave Peeta's paper back. She didn't say anything as she got up from the table and walked outside. Peeta was shocked. Not even a goodbye? He got up and followed her, and his friends 'ooohhhhh'ed.

Katniss was sitting outside, staring past the electric fence that seperated the District and the woods. She was frowning, once again, at the grass, and did not raise her head when Peeta sat by her. "Are you okay?" Peeta asked, looking sidewys at her. She did not answer him, but twisted her body away. He didn't feel shy around her anymore, at least not right now, but confused. What had he done? They still had to get married!

"Katniss?" he asked again. He sat and admired her wavy mahogany hair, tracing the sun-lightened strands with his eyes. Peeta rested his elbows on his knees and waited for her to answer him. He could hear her heightened breathing, and he was not prepared when she started yelling.

"What did he mean, you finally got me to sit with you? What was that about?" she yelled over her shoulder. Peeta couldn't respond for a moment. He opened his mouth to answer her, to defend himself, but she yelled again. "Was it some kind of bet, or something? Were you going to play a prank on me? What? What were you going to do?"

"Nothing!" Peeta yelled, holding up his hands. Katniss turned back to face the fence. "I wasn't going to do anything," Peeta said, his voice lower. He wasn't one who yelled often. "I just... you asked if you could sit with me! How is this my fault?" Katniss mumbled to herself and shook her head, and Peeta scooted around to see her face. She was scowling, and turned her head when Peeta looked at her. He said softly, "They just know you're very smart, and they know how bad I am at math. I've been talking about you tutoring me for a while and..."

He did not mean any of that. He'd been... observing Katniss from afar since kindergarten, and had fantasized about them always being together. He only said this to make it seem like he wasn't such a stalker. Katniss smiled a little, then said quietly, "A tutor." Peeta looked at her, shocked, then said, "Huh?" Katniss laughed and asked again, "You said you needed a tutor. Do you want me to tutor you sometime?" Peeta fumbled for words and then, finding none, settled for a nod. She pursed her lips and said, "I don't know..." Peeta smiled, playing along. He threw his arms up in surprise. "What?" he said, "You just offered! You can't turn your back now!"

Katniss laughed, really laughed, and Peeta knew he was right when he thought it sounded like tinkling bells.

**How was that for a second chapter? I've been working on this for a while, so I hope it pleased. I appreciate all the reviews, that make me smile. I want to thank you all right now, but at the end of the story I'll give shout-outs by name. Exceptionally good reviews will get a shout-out by chapter. I hope you're enjoying this! I'm working really hard on this. Keep reviewing, lovies!  
>I love you all, you beautiful people! Lol.<br>~Paige**


	3. Chapter 3

"Maybe tomorrow?" Katniss said quietly. Peeta had, to Katniss's extreme embarassment and at one point anger, offered to buy her lunch- hot- and had saved her a seat with his dumb friends. At first she didn't want to, but saw Peeta's blue eyes, the ones she'd secretly liked for so long, and said yes. He smiled cheekily and led her to his table. Tayte was there, grinning at Katniss, and he wedged himself on his knees between Peeta and Katniss when they sat down.

He put one elbow on the table and pushed Katniss's dark hair behind her ear. He said in what was supposed to be, Katniss guessed, a sexy voice, "Hey. How're you?" His voice was very low and he had his eyes half-open, and Katniss thought that he just looked sick. She tried to smile and looked to Peeta for assistance. Peeta shoved Tayte backwards and he eventually left, after saying more 'sexy' things but not getting anything out of Katniss and a punch out of Peeta. He growled toward Tayte as he walked away, and then said, "Yeah, tomorrow's Friday, right? That works."

Peeta _hoped _it would work. He was sure he could find some way to get his father to cover for him, if it meant he could be with Katniss, even for just an hour for tutoring. She smiled and started picking at her food. Peeta watched her for a moment, then started in on his food too. While they ate, Katniss quietly tried to teach Peeta slope-intercept, and he was happy to listen. He now understood what he'd been missing out on when he heard her voice. Peeta's father had told him that, just like her father, the birds stopped to listen when she sang. Anything with ears would stop to listen.

Peeta dumped Katniss's tray for her, and when he came back they talked for a few more minutes. She sat very still when she talked, and he noticed that she didn't use her hands at all. This allowed him to focus on her face, which he would not complain about. The bell rang, and they, at least on Peeta's part, sadly departed and went to seperate classes. The day dragged on for Peeta and hoped it felt the same for Katniss, and as soon as the bell rang, he searched to find Katniss. She walked him to his house and Peeta watched her go further and further into town, where she would eventually reach the Seam. He vowed that, someday, they would live together in the nicest house in town in the nicest part of town, and she would always have plenty to eat and so would their babies and the homeless people who came to their door, even. He knew he could take care of her. He would.

Peeta took his work inside, scribbled down what he hoped the right answers were, put his books away, and looked around the shop for chores to busy himself until he would see Katniss again.

_"Do you, Peeta Mellark, take Katniss Everdeen to be your wife?"_

_"I do."_

_"Katniss Everdeen, do you take Peeta Mellark to be your husband?"_

_"I do."_

_He closed his book and smiled toward Peeta. "You may now kiss the bride."_

_Peeta took a deep breath and Katniss smiled slightly. He pulled her closer to him, put one hand on the back of her neck and whispered, "I love you." Her eyes twinkled, shimmery with tears and glitter, and she said, "I love you more." He smiled again, then leaned forward. He could feel her warm breath on his face, smell her hair and perfume, and his lips made contact with hers and they finally, for the first time, kiss-_

"Peeta!"

Peeta groaned and smacked his fist against the wall. Why, oh why, couldn't he have these dreams when he first got to sleep so that he could finish them?

"Smack the wall again, I dare you!" his mother screamed. He grumbled incoherently at her as he made his bed and pulled on his pants. He made sure to brush his teeth twice and comb his hair just right, so he would make a good impression on Katniss's mother. He wore nice black pants, cleaned off his shoes and tucked his navy blue shirt. His father saw him getting dressed so nicely and half-smiled. "What? Do you have pictures today or something?" Peeta blushed, caught, and shook his head.

"No," he said quietly, looking over his shoulder for his mother. She was baking. "Katniss Everdeen invited me to go to her house after school. She's tutoring me in math." He focused on his shoe laces so he couldn't see his father's angry expression. He could just picture him bellowing, "You need help in math? From a _girl_ from the _Seam_?" But he didn't. Peeta slowly looked up and saw his father smiling at him. Not a huge smile where you could see all his teeth, just a smile.

Peeta whispered, "Can you cover for me?" His father nodded, then swatted at him with a towel. "And if there's a hole in that wall," he yelled. At first Peeta was confused but then heard his mother's footsteps. His father pointed a finger at him, putting the other on his hip, and continued, "the cost will come out of your allowance and you're grounded for a week!" Peeta appeared to be aggravated and when his father turned a cheek toward him and put a finger behind his ear, Peeta mumbled, "Yes, sir."

"What was that?"

"Yes, sir!"

His father nodded and then opened the door, "Go to school!" Peeta walked out the door and started for the school building, thankful he had such a wonderful father. Tonight, he might even get a kiss, a real kiss on the _lips_, from Katniss Everdeen.

The day went quickly and since he had last period with Katniss, she walked him out. They were both quiet as Katniss led Peeta to her house. She hesitated outside the front door, and then faced Peeta. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..." she mumbled. She, once again, was speaking to her shoes, and Peeta took a step forward. "Why?" he asked, worried he'd done something wrong. She looked at her house, and Peeta guessed she was ashamed at the condition it was in. For not having a father, being 16 years old and having to provide for three people plus go to school, Peeta thought the house looked fantastic.

"My mother is..." she said, almost so low Peeta couldn't hear. She shook her head once, steeled herself, and opened the door. There was a fire in the hearth and a small blonde girl sat at the table, scribbling in a book with an oversized pencil. Her feet couldn't reach the floor. She looked up and smiled at Peeta. "Hi!" Peeta smiled back, surprised at her charm. Katniss put her bag on the table next to the girl and Peeta did the same, then held his hand out to the girl. "Hi," he said, "I'm Peeta." She wrapped her fingers around his thumb and shook his arm. "I'm Prim."

Katniss pulled out a chair for Peeta and Prim picked up her book, moving to the floor. She laid on her stomach and curled up next to the ugliest cat Peeta had ever seen. Peeta cast a sideways glance at the cat and Katniss sighed. "That's Buttercup. I knew I should've drowned him when I had the chance." Prim stuck her tongue out at Katniss, then petted the purring cat. "He's unique." She put her head on his stomach and continued scribbling.

Katniss pulled her books out of her bag and Peeta got his books. As they flipped through the pages Peeta looked up and noticed a woman in a bed, staring at a wall. She didn't appear to be asleep and he worried she was ded, but Katniss said nothing. He figured this was Katniss's mother. That would, anyway, explain why she had mumbled about her mother before they went inside. Peeta shook his head and focused back on Katniss, who was explaining solving for a variable, which Peeta hated. For a few minutes he could focus and was actually learning something, but then he started to feel uneasy. It was a talent of his, if it could be called that. He could just sense bad things before they'd happen. And he did not want something bad to happen while he and Katniss were in the same room.

Prim stood up off the floor and stood on tiptoe to look out the window. "Katniss," she said. The door bursted open and Gale came inside, plopped down at the table across from Peeta and gushed, "I got a _D_ in art class! A stinkin' D! How do you even get graded in art class? It's doesn't even take any talent! What-" Gale stopped yelling to stare at Peeta, who he had not noticed until now. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Peeta raised an eyebrow and held up his pencil. "Learning math," he said calmly. He looked back to Katniss's mathbook, which she had never looked away from, and filled in a problem Katniss had set up for him. She nodded, said, "Very good," then sighed. "I'm sorry, Gale," she said. Gale continued glowering at Peeta. He paid him no attention, though, when Gale said through clenched teeth, "I'm sorry to intrude." He stiffly turned toward Katniss. "Are we hunting tomorrow?" Katniss nodded subtly, and scratched down another problem for Peeta. "Yes," she mumbled. Gale snorted and stood up. "See you later, Katniss," he grumbled, slamming the door on his way out. Katniss sighed again.

Peeta resisted the temptation to say anything about Gale's outburst and hasty retreat, and Katniss didn't mention it. Prim, after a while of tutoring, brought a small plate of cheese to the table and a glass of goat's milk. "Lady was being good today," Prim said cheekily. Katniss looked questioningly at the cheese, then asked, "Prim? Where did you get this?" She held her hands behind her back and said, "I brought it home from school. I was kinda full but I couldn't see wasting it, so..." Katniss shook her head and smiled, then picked up a small piece. Peeta did the same.

They worked for about twenty minutes longer, then finished the work. Peeta knew it would be a long weekend without Katniss and he didn't want to leave, but didn't want to overstay his welcome, either. Katniss helped him pack up his things and as he reached for his math book he very narrowly missed knocking over the glass of untouched milk. Katniss grabbed it. "Here," she said, holding it toward Peeta. "Have you ever had goat's milk?" Peeta shook his head and took the glass. He eyed it warily for a moment, then took it sip. It was tangy, and tasted like goat cheese. Peeta smiled a bit and drank more.

Katniss opened the door for Peeta and smiled. "Thanks for coming," she said quietly. Peeta stepped outside and started walking away, but Katniss put a hand on his shoulder. He turned and faced her, squinting. "Yeah?" Katniss looked up at him, at his blue eyes, and lost her nerve. Peeta waited for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Why did you kiss me at the bakery?" Katniss's eyes flicked down, and she mumbled. Peeta couldn't hear her. "Huh?" She let a breath whoosh out and then whispered, "Because I knew you wouldn't take it wrong."

She let Peeta process that for a moment, then said in a louder voice, "I never forgot what you did. That day with the bread? I never forgot. I can't think of what to do to make us square. I thought that maybe, you just knowing I never forgot..." She raked a hand through her hair. She looked miserable. She turned to go back into the house, and Peeta thought he saw tears streaming down her face.

Gale making himself look dumb by yelling at Peeta, and Prim liking Peeta, and his father covering for him and Katniss's wonderfully _womanly_ smell filled Peeta with confidence and determination, and he reached forward, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into a kiss. At first he didn't know what to do. Should he hug her or just stand there? Should he move his lips first or wait for Katniss's reaction? He didn't know and didn't care when Katniss kissed him back, wrapping her fingers in his curly blond hair. His closed his eyes and couldn't help but notice that his eyebrows were raised to his hairline or that his face was hot and beet red.

Katniss pulled away and the seperation made a smacking sound, and then she smiled a small smile. Peeta gasped, staring dizzily at Katniss. Was there two of her? She whispered, "I'll probably be at the sweet shop tomorrow." Peeta asked, "Will you be with Gale?" Katniss frowned slightly and nodded, "Yeah." They stood two feet apart in silence.

Katniss said, "Be at the sweet shop?" Peeta touched the tip of his nose to hers.

"Absolutely."

**So sorry, my readers. I had a terrible weekend. You know what I hate? School. You know why? The teachers think it's funny to give you three test-grade projects over one freakin' weekend! But I digress. It's just I wanted someone to know how much I hate the eighth grade. So, as I post this, I am thinking of my lovely readers and how much I hope I didn't disappoint them. I finished Mockingjay today, so hopefully my knowledge will be more accurate. Review, lovies!  
>~Paige<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Katniss pulled the bowstring taut, aimed right for the eye, and let the arrow fly, dropping the rabbit instantly. Gale sighed and moved toward the rabbit. "That's four." Katniss followed him and picked it up, stuffing it in her game bag. She said nothing as she turned for the fence, turning her left hear toward it to sense for the telltale buzz that the electricity was coursing through it. There was no hum, so Katniss dropped to her forearms and knees and crawled under, Gale following her.

Katniss did not notice Gales footsteps behind her as she hurried toward the sweet shop. She prayed with everything she had that Peeta would be there and his mother woudn't. She still, after all these years, belive that his mother had hit him. No matter what Katniss had said or done, neither of her parents had ever hit her.

She felt light-headed as she pushed on the door to the shop and got in line behind the first customer. Gale, she noticed after a moment, was still walking past the shop to his house. Fine. Let him be that way. If he couldn't accept that Katniss had other friends, she didn't want him as one. Katniss kept her head ducked low and clutched her bag tighter to her as the man took his paper bag and left, the bell above the door ringing. Katniss forced a small smile and put the bag on the counter, pushing it toward Mr. Mellark. He smiled and opened the bag, then said, "The usual?" Katniss nodded and he took the bag in the back.

Katniss looked out of the corner of her eye, hoping to find Peeta. He'd said he'd be here, hadn't he? Katniss tried to hide her disappointment as Mr. Mellark came back with her bread. "Thanks, Katniss." She smiled and nodded, and turned to leave. Mr. Mellark caught her arm and motioned for her to lean in. She did, and he whispered, "Peeta's upstairs." Katniss shook her head like she didn't know why he was telling her this, but he winked, and she knew he knew. Tipping her head forward so her hair hid her blush, Katniss slowly walked behind the counter and up the narrow stairs. Mr. Mellark wiped down the counter like he'd seen nothing.

Katniss tried to creep like Gale always seemed to up the stairs and then had to guess which of the three doors in the small hallway was Peeta's room. She picked the door on the right, knocked so lightly _she_ could barely hear it, and then opened the door. As she took in the room, Katniss noticed that it was dark with a large window in the center of the far wall, making a column of light right into the middle of the floor where Peeta sat, painting. She held her breath so she wouldn't disturb him, and pressed herself against a wall. She watched, amused, as Peeta mumbled to himself and tried to keep his curly blond hair out of his eyes.

He dipped his long brush into a small bowl next to him, and then making one long stroke across the middle of the piece of canvas. It was a picture of the electric fence that trapped the people of District 12 like animals with all different shades of green behind it. He had left out a chunk of fence in the bottom, barely showing behind a bush, and a girl crawling through it. The girl was Katniss. Her hair was in a long braid over her shoulder, a brown bag in her hand. She did notice, however, that Gale was not behind her.

Katniss felt like she might as well have been making googly eyes at Peeta, the way she was staring at his painting. She knew that he was good at decorating the cakes and cookies in the windows in the shops, but had no idea he liked to paint. Or that he had talent. She now remembered the strained look on his face when, last night, Gale said that you didn't need talent for art. Clearly, Peeta had the talent.

"Peeta..." Katniss whispered, "you're amazing." Peeta looked up, startled, smearing a green streak across the sun. Katniss gasped and covered her mouth, dropping to her knees and crawling toward Peeta. "Peeta, I'm so sorry!" She gasped once, then looked down. Peeta, still shocked that Katniss was in his room, half-smiled. "No," he mumbled. "It's okay. I'll remember you whenever I look at this. It... it gives it character." She stuck her bottom lip out and clasped a hand over her forehead, then sighed. "I'm horrible. Sorry." He put a hand on her shoulder, trying not to feel awkward with the touch.

Would Katniss talk about what they'd done last night? Would she ever kiss him again or was she just being emotional? Had Peeta been right to kiss her like that? They sat in silence as Peeta thought about this. Katniss was still looking at the painting, and while Peeta was getting ready to put his paint away, just in case they happened to be... staying on the floor, Katniss stopped him. She crawled toward him and sat on her knees, and kissed him. She kept his head still by holding his chin with her thumb and forefinger, and they just sat there. Peeta didn't breathe for the whole twenty-six seconds that he could remember. His eyes fluttered closed and Katniss broke away for a moment to giggle. Peeta leaned toward her, and this time he held her there. They took turns kissing each other for a while. Not long enough, Peeta thought.

Katniss pulled away again and said matter-of-factly, "You taste like cake. Vanilla cake." Peeta pursed his lips. "You taste like... like... um..." Katniss feigned anger. "What?" Peeta held his hands up in surrender and explained, "I don't know! It's not like I go around kissing girls all the time! I don't know what they should taste like!"

"Well I don't go around kissing guys, either!"

"Are you telling me you've never kissed one guy?"

Katniss frowned, then leaned closer. Peeta went slightly cross-eyed as Katniss touched her forehead to his and whispered, "I'm not saying that at all. I've kissed _you_."

Peeta didn't object as Katniss kissed him more forcefully this time, and he slightly rocked back on his knees. Over their panting, Peeta could hear his mother downstairs banging around and yelling, "Where's Peeta? He should be helping out down here, that worthless boy!" Peeta regretfully pushed Katniss off him and held her still. "We should go somewhere else," he said. Katniss listened for a moment as his mother kept complaining and then nodded. She stood up. "I know where we can go."

**Was this a filler? It felt like a filler to me. But, it needed to be done. We're going further into their relationship... Lol. I kinda feel like I'm rushing a little, but I don't want a bunch of chapters where nothing happens, either. So, while I have a fight with myself, you beautiful people should review! They motivate me, and... sometimes, I read them in the morning before I go to school so I don't have a terrible day. Lol. They really make me smile, and sometimes my mom asks me if I need to stay home. Lol. Review, peeps! Much love!  
>~Paige<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

Katniss held her breath as she held Peeta's hand, pulling him through the underbrush. She didn't know why she bothered to hide- everyone knew she went in the woods regularly, even the mayor, which was how he got the strawberries he was so crazy for. Peeta could not take one step without scaring everything in the forest, and Katniss was tempted to just go back. They hid behind the very same bush Peeta had painted her behind and Katniss sat down. Peeta sat, too.

"Okay, you know how they charge the fence with electricity sometimes?" Peeta nodded. Katniss went on, "Well, it hurts if you get stung by it. So we have to listen to make sure it's not on. Okay?" Peeta nodded again, and they both crawled toward the fence. Katniss put her ear close to it, as did Peeta, and they listened. No electricity. Katniss nodded and grabbed the bottom of the chain-link fence and pulled up. She let Peeta crawl through first, and rolled her eyes when he alerted the whole forest to his presence on his knees.

Katniss dragged Peeta away from the fence and into the woods. Peeta breathed deeply and Katniss chuckled. "What?" Peeta threw his arms up, gesturing to the trees surrounding them. "This is the most exciting thing I've ever done, besides kissing you." He turned and smiled at Katniss, who smiled back. "Usually my mom won't let me do anything. She won't even let me play football with the other guys. Thank you for bringing me out here." Katniss smiled.

They kept walking for a few more minutes, then Peeta looked at Katniss out of the corner of his eye. She was doing the same. They both kept staring forward as their hands crossed the gap between them and joined. They swung their hands as they walked, and Katniss whistled.

Peeta would've been content walking like that forever, but Katniss ripped her hand away and squatted behind a tree, reaching for an arrow to knock to her bow. "What is it?" Peeta asked, crouching beside her. He received no response.

Katniss pulled back the arrow and let it fly, and a rabbit caught the arrow right in the head. Through the eye would be more accurate. She whooped and stood up to go get the fat rabbit while Peeta stayed still, shocked.

He knew that Katniss was a good shot, but had no idea she could shoot like that. Her precision was frightening. He made it a mental note to himself not to get on her bad side.

Katniss stuffed the rabbit in her game bag and came back to the tree Peeta sat behind, holding out her hand. He took it and pulled himself up onto his feet. Katniss and Peeta walked further into the woods and then Katniss stopped. Peeta stopped with her. She took a deep breath, and pushed aside a branch to find a clearing with a small pool of water. The sun sparkled off the water and reflected little spots of light onto the leaves above it.

"Katniss," Peeta said, breaking away form her to stop at the water's edge. "It's beautiful. How did you find it?" Katniss ghosted forward, the opposite of how Peeta moved, and stood next to him. "My father brought me here once, when we used to come here by ourselves. I've never been here with anyone except him."

Talking about her father made her remember all the things they'd done together, but Peeta grabbed her chin and kissed her. She kissed him back, trying to enjoy the moment with Peeta, and then Peeta pulled away. "Thank you for bringing me here," he whispered. She nodded and whispered back, "Thank you for coming." He smiled and kissed her again.

They moved to a log and watched the peaceful rings the fish made in the water, and they talked and kissed more. Mostly the last one. When they were talking, Katniss asked Peeta about his mother. "Does she hit you a lot?"

Peeta looked at his feet and Katniss noticed he held her hand more tightly. "Sometimes," he said, looking in her eyes. "If I backtalk, or if I'm slacking." Katniss's jaw fell open. "Slacking? Peeta, you have to go to school! That's more important than working in your parent's shop!" Peeta nodded with each word. "Yeah," he said with pursed lips. "I know. It's not always so bad. I mean, we do laugh a lot. But, she's so afraid that we're going to end up poor and in the... Seam..." He remembered that Katniss, the girl he had loved since he was five and was destined to marry, lived in the Seam.

He tripped over his words. "I mean, it's not _bad_ to live in the Seam. It's just that-" Katniss silenced Peeta with her lips. He sighed and relaxed, glad she wasn't mad at him. She smiled against his lips and whispered, "I know what you meant." Tongue. She licked his lips.

Peeta lost it there. He could not move, or breathe, or kiss her back. He was frozen with his eyes closed, eyebrows raised, and face bruning red. "Did I break you?" Katniss whispered playfully. Peeta controlled his smile, looked at her through the corner of his eye, shut it again, and then nodded. Katniss laughed, way out loud, and laced her fingers behind his neck. They were facing each other on the log now, each sitting on it like it was a horse. Peeta braced his hands on the log in between him, and Katniss held on to Peeta's neck as they kissed. They giggled and broke apart occasionally for breath, but didn't talk anymore.

When Peeta and Katniss went from giggling to their brows creasing in concentration, it had started to get dark. For the first time, when Katniss pulled away Peeta kissed the hollow at the base of her neck instead of sitting back. She gasped and leaned into him, wrapping her fingers around his neck, and he put his hands on her hips.

"Well, isn't that _sweet_."

It wasn't even a question- there was too much venom in it to be a question. The voice came from across the clearing where they had entered. Peeta didn't notice the words at first, and had moved his kisses lower. Katniss buttoned the top button on her shirt and turned her head. Peeta looked in the same direction as Katniss. Gale stood there, leaning against a tree. He was glaring at Peeta. Neither of them moved, so Gale walked toward them. His arms were crossed and he more stomped than walked, and stopped about seven feet away from the log. Katniss, still holding onto Peeta who was still holding onto Katniss, quietly asked, "How'd you get here?" Gale yelled back at her, "The same way we always get here! You and _me_!" Katniss shook her head, turning from Peeta. "I've never brought you here. I've never brought anyone here. How'd you find us?"

Gale angrily raked his hands through his hair then spread his arms wide. "_Anyone_ could've found you! I could hear _him_ panting like a dog all the way from the Seam!" Katniss stood up off the log and pointed a finger in Gale's chest. "I made sure nobody saw us. Why are you so mad?" Gale screamed in her face, causing her to bend backward. Peeta wanted to jump up and defend her, but knew Katniss could handle it.

"Because coming in the woods is _our_ thing! It's what _we_ do! I can't believe you brought him here! Do you remember that day I found you in the woods and we became hunting partners? Do you remember any of that, Katniss? Because you wouldn't be alive if it weren't for me!"

Katniss screamed right back at him, arching up on her tiptoes. "No! I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Peeta! He's the ones who gave me the bread that day that kept me alive that even allowed me to _get_ in the woods! It's him! It's always been him!" Gale wasn't screaming anymore, just upset. He crossed his arms and yelled sarcastically, "Oh, so if I'd given you some bread you would love me?"

"No, because you're being a selfish brat!"

"_I'm_ being a brat? Do you know what you're doing to me?"

"I don't _care_ what I'm doing! I would before, but I don't even know you anymore! Since when are you like this?"

"Since I started loving you!"

This shocked Katniss into silence. She stepped back and cocked her head to the side. Peeta anchored himself to the log with his fingernails. He could wait for them to get done. He had to. Katniss whispered, "Since you what?" Gale fumed for a moment, then replied, "I love you, I think."

She walked backward until the back of her knees hit the log, and she sank down next to Peeta. She opened her mouth to say something, but Peeta, still looking at the log, said. "You think? If you can't say you're certain, you don't deserve her. You don't love her like I do." He slowly looked up to see Gale staring at him. "What?" Gale laughed. Peeta said it again, louder this time. He stood up and balled his fists. "You don't love her like I do."

Gale laughed again, so much that he held his stomach. Peeta just watched him embarrass himself. Gale laughed again. "What? Are you gonna fight me?" It was Peeta who laughed this time, and shook his head. "No," he said. "I'm not a woman-beater."

Gale's smile vanished at that. He rushed at Peeta and slammed his shoulder into his stomach. Except, he didn't. Peeta grabbed him by his shoulders and tossed him on the ground. Gale rolled over and pulled his stood over him, an arrow knocked to her bow. "Put it away, Gale," she said.

He laid there, looking upside-down at Katniss. He eyed her arrow. "You wouldn't shoot me, Katniss." She pulled the arrow back further and touched the string to the side of her nose. "Try me."

Gale huffed and tossed the knife aside, and Katniss let him stand. He kicked the knife at Peeta who easily dodged it. As Gale backed out of the clearing, he cussed at Peeta. Peeta shook his head ever-so-slightly, then turned to Katniss. "Well, that idiot ruined our first date." Katnis packed up her bow and then looked at Peeta through her eyelashes. "Date?" she asked. Peeta nodded and pulled her in for a kiss, which she gladly returned. He felt Katniss shivering and wrapped his jacket around her. She smiled slightly and took it.

Peeta looked up through the trees to see the full moon, then looked around him. He pulled Katniss closer to him. "You have to get us out of here- I have no idea where we are." Katniss smiled and pressed up against him. She mocked, "Why? Are you scared?" Peeta nodded and then looked over his shoulder.

"You might even have to hold my hand."

**Okay, so I hope you guys liked it. Sorry if you're a Gale fan- I just can't stand him. Anyways, I really want Haymitch in this tory. I had an epiphany today and realized how much I love him, so I would like ideas on how to bring him into this. I was thinking he could date Katniss's mom or something, but she never really did get over Katniss's dad, did she? I don't know, I just want him to have a part in this. And not just like, one chapter. Like, a big role. I like the idea of him being the male figure in Katniss's life, but there are no reapings in this story, so he can't be her mentor. I would like to hear ideas on how to bring him into this story before I continue, and I'll have to have an idea to keep going. I'd love to hear your ideas!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Two hour delay, people! I get to stay home from the dumb eighth grade for two extra hours! Updates for all!**

"Class, you're assignment for this semester of art class is to create a portait of something important to you."

Peeta was positively giddy, bouncing up and down in his seat. In an effort to make themselves look better, the Capitol donated leftover art supplies to the poorest schools for the kids to use. Peeta half-listened and Katniss, in her seat next to him, tried to keep him still. The teacher pointed to the pile of water colors and brushes and chalk and pencils, then said, "Ready? Set? Go!" The kids jumped out of their seats and Peeta elbowed by them and even pushed one kid to get to a long rectangle of paint. He grabbed a package of the best-looking brushes and then went back to his seat.

Katniss grabbed a square of paints and some charcoal pencils- which were easy to get in 12. She put the paints down in front of Peeta and pulled a pencil out of the package. Peeta smiled and eyed the paints Katniss had brought for him. "Ooh," he said, chuckling down at his piece of canvas. "Purple."

Nobody could get through to Peeta as he sketched out his painting. He knew as soon as the teacher had said the word that the important thing he was going to paint was Katniss. He pictured her in all different positions, poses he could paint her in, some of which made him blush. He finally decided on the pose he was going to use, sharpened his pencil extra sharp, and drew Katniss.

Her hair was blowing back in the wind, her father's jacket flapping behind her. She was running through the woods, the trees whirring by her. A quiver was slung over her shoulder and a game bag hanging from her waist, and she had an arrow knocked to her wooden bow. She was aiming at something far off- with her frightening precision there was no doubt she would pierce the animal straight through the eye, like always- and had one eye closed. Peeta started from her profile back to her hair, so that he could visually see her pulling back the bowstring. A little tighter now, and the string was pressed against her nose. She holds her breath, the forest stills, the leaves don't move, the arrow flies- lunch.

The class had formed a small circle around Peeta as he madly scratched out the rough lines and shapes. Nobody who said Peeta's name was heard, the teacher couldn't shake him from this trance- she didn't want to. Katniss raised one eyebrow as she scrutinized the sketch. He was obviously trying to make her feel better about herself, drawing herself so beautifully. She was sure she didn't look like that. Peeta was drawing someone else.

He filled in rough shadows- this was only his first draft- and then scratched his name in the bottom corner. He wrote Katniss's name in small print on the sleeve of her jacket, just so anyone who saw would know- he had immortalized the girl he loved. There would never be another. This was her, Katniss Everdeen-Mellark.

He cracked his knuckles and leaned back, holding up the painting. He only noticed the crowd around him when he turned to show Katniss the thing he'd done for her. She was staring blankly at him, and the rest of the class gawked. "What..." he mumbled, sinking down in his chair. The teacher clapped once, and this startled everyone. She clapped twice, slowly speeding up, and the rest of the class joined in. Katniss managed a small clap before the teacher ushered the other kids back to their seats so Peeta could continue sketching his artistic visions.

"Who's that?" Katniss whispered, looking down at her lap. Peeta frowned. "It's you," he mumbled, offended. Had he been that inaccurate in his drawing? Katniss snorted, then looked up at him with sad eyes. "That's not me," she said, lowering her head again. "She's too pretty." Peeta gasped, then leaned in toward her. "This? It's nothing compared to you. I should be thrown in jail- it does you no justice."

Katniss laughed a little, then looked at the sketch again. She pulled it toward her and smiled a tiny bit. "I guess that could be me," she said, turning the canvas. She giggled a bit, and Peeta asked, "What?" She pointed at her bow, at a small carving in the wood. "You even got that right," she mumbled.

The teacher told them they would not have time to start painting their pictures, but could start next class. Everyone handed in their drawings then packed up to go home. Peeta sighed, ruffled his hair, and walked outside with Katniss. "I have to work tonight," he grumbled, kicking at the ground. "My dad says if he has to cover for me one more time my mom will start getting suspicious. He said maybe this weekend we can go somewhere." He reached over and grabbed her hand, and she let him. As the kids milled around them, meeting up with their friends to walk home, Peeta pulled Katniss closer.

"I love you," Peeta whispered against Katniss's mouth. "I love you more," she answered. Peeta kissed her gently, holding both of her hands, then pulled away. "Impossible." He playfully bit her bottom lip. She giggled and nipped back. They rested their foreheads against each other, and then kissed again. "See you this weekend?" Katniss asked. Peeta nodded once, and pulled her hand up to his mouth. "Yes, ma'am," he said against her fingers.

Gale stood in the crowd of schoolkids, watching.

Katniss walked in the Hob, holding two turkeys and a rabbit. She threw them down on the counter and then went to Greasy Sae. She was stirring a big pot of... something, and handed Katniss a bowl. Katniss took it and waited for Sae to fill it up. As she waited, she glanced around the Hob to see who was present. The normal people, and then two men she didn't know were a few feet away, drinking.

"There she is right there!" someone bellowed, pointing at her. Katniss's eyes widened involuntarily and she turned away, focusing on her bowl. She watched them out of the corner of her eye, and noticed that they were watching her. Katniss put the bowl down and decided to just leave without any soup, but just then Sae filled up her bowl. "Wild dog," she mumbled, then went back to stirring.

Katniss knew she couldn't leave now, so she leaned back against the counter and tried to ignore the men. "That right there is the... the best hunter in Panem!" the man said. He hiccupped. Katniss worried that someone might hear, but then remembered that everyone knew she was a hunter. The one man, he looked to be a little older than his friend, stumbled toward her and leaned on the counter. "Will you..." he mumbled. He burped. "Will you shoot me a b-bear?" Katniss raised one eyebrow and sipped at her bowl, and the men slapped the counter and laughed.

He held out one finger, trying to point at her. "I'm s-sorry. That wasn't... funny." Someone behind him screamed, "Yes it was!" The man nodded and whispered, "Yeah..." Then he rubbed his eyes and seemed to be focusing on Katniss, whose bowl was almost half empty. "What... what's your name, sweetheart?"

**Dun, dun, duhhhhhh! And all that Stephen Spielburg music and Jaws and everything. Any guesses as to who the drunk is? I bet you don't know! I bet you can't guess!... I know who can all guess. Just humor me! Review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm sorry about all the inconsistencies people have been telling me about. I don't have my own copies of the Hunger Games series- I read them outta the library. I don't have them to just sit here and look at, and I'm trying really hard to remember the details- library books **_**do**_** have due dates. I Google what I can't remember, and I'm trying, here. Please forgive my terrible writing, and... yeah. *bursts into tears***

She sipped at her bowl, watching him. He was waiting for an answer he would never get. He frowned and then slurred, "You're bein' rude, you know." Nobody in the Hob except the man's friends were watching. Katniss nodded once, the bowl still pressed to her lips, acknowledging him. He squinted and then smirked. "Haymitch," he said, holding out his hand. Katniss tentatively grabbed his hand. He was sweaty. "Katniss Everdeen," she quietly replied. He nodded, then shook her hand once. "Good to know you can talk. Now where's my bear?" He bursted into laughter, as did his friends, and Katniss set her empty bowl down and turned down to leave.

"I'm dating your mom!" Haymitch laughed behind her. Katniss shook her head and pushed the door open. Haymitch staggered out behind her, still clutching his clear bottle.

"Hey, wait!" Haymitch yelled. Katniss looked at him over her shoulder but kept walking toward her house. He followed her home, tripping a few times. She pushed open the door to her home and, seeing Haymitch a few yards behind her, locked the door. She figured he would just get tired of not being able to get in and leave, but no. As soon as Katniss went in the small room she and Prim shared to check on her sister, she heard the locks jingle. She grabbed up the fire poker and held it like a baseball bat and walked toward the door. Her mother was laying in her bed, and she lifted her head to see the door.

"Go away!" Katniss yelled, kicking the door. The lock jangled a few seconds longer and then the door bursted open. Haymitch stood there, an empty bottle in one hand and a set of keys in the other. He grinned, his eyes clearer. "Honey, I'm home!"

Prim had run up from the floor and jumped on the bed with her mother, who pushed her off and got up. She smiled politely at Haymitch, who seated himself at the table. Katniss, still brandishing the poker, glared at her mother. "Mom!" she yelled, jabbing at Haymitch. "What does he mean by 'honey'?" Her mother glanced at her and then went back to peering in the empty cupboards. "He's living here," she said nonchalantly. Katniss dropped the fire poker which clanged loudly to the floor. Her voice squeaked and she held her arms out in anger. "What?" she yelled.

Haymitch smiled and held the bottle upside-down over his mouth, emptying the last few drops out. Her mother sat down next to him and rested her chin on her hand. There were purple rings under her eyes. "Honey, just..." Katniss stood stock-still for a moment, then in a fit of anger reached her leg up and kicked over the empty wooden chair.

"I can barely feed the three of us! Now you want me to feed him, too?" Katniss jabbed an accusing finger at Haymitch. Mom sighed and started to object, but a more sober Haymitch interrupted. "I'll help out with what I can... I get a little money sometimes." Katniss seethed. "How?" she asked through clenched. Haymitch pointed a finger at her and said, "_That_ is none of your business, sweetheart." He continued, "I'll help you whenever I can... M'kay?" Katniss glared at him and her nose twitched. She held her hand out.

Haymitch stared at her hand and then looked up at her. "What?" he snorted. She shook her hand forward once, then smirked. "Money," she said simply. Haymitch laughed out loud at that, and Mom looked nervous. Haymitch kept laughing and slapped the table and then finally looked up at her. She still held her hand out and had the other on her hip. Haymitch's laughter died down and he looked up at her. "You're serious?" he asked. She nodded once, and then said, "You don't have any money." He glared at her and never took his eyes away as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a twenty. It had been a long time since Katniss had seen that much money all at once, except maybe in the cash registers of the stores she could never afford to go into.

He held it out toward her, and she snatched it before he could pull it back and stuff it in his pocket. She tucked safely inside her shirt and then held her hand out for Prim to take. Glad to just get away from the crazy drunk, Prim ran and grabbed Katniss's hand. "We're going to the store," Katniss grumbled. She clenched her fists to keep from waving a certain finger at Haymitch.

"Is he really gonna live with us, Katniss?" Prim asked, walking behind her. Katniss shook her head and mumbled sourly, "Not if I have anything to say about it." They walked in silence a few moments longer and then the small town came into view. Katniss walked directly to the sweet shop, not caring if Mrs. Mellark was there. The bell clanged loudly as she forced the door open and led Prim inside. Prim went directly to the desserts , where Katniss spied Peeta decorating a blue and green cake. He smiled down at Prim and then looked around for Katniss. When he saw her he mouthed the word 'mom' and pointed to his right. Katniss shrugged and then walked to the place where they kept the bread warm.

Peeta put down his piping bag and rushed over to Katniss, who was looking at the bread. "Katniss," he whispered, trying to look casual. He had flour all over his hands and forearms, and smeared some on his forehead when he brushed back his hair. "My mother is here. What if she sees you?" Katniss shrugged again, and then reached in her shirt. Peeta tried not to stare. "I've got money," she said, smirking.

Peeta eyed the bill. "Nice," he said. "What are you gonna get?" Katniss deflated at that. She looked over at Prim and Peeta followed. Prim had her nose pressed up against the dusty glass that kept her from the cakes, her hands on the glass on either side of her head. "I'd love to buy a cake for Prim, but I've got to get things that will keep us alive." Katniss sighed, then looked back at Peeta. "Whatcha got? I need something that'll feed four people."

Peeta nodded and led her into the back, and then he stopped short. "Four people?" he questioned. Katniss huffed. "Yeah," she said, grabbing a loaf of bread off a shelf. "My mom's got this new... friend who's gonna live with us, I guess." Peeta nodded and decided not to press it further. He could tell Katniss wasn't happy about it.

A new customer had just come in the store and they heard Peeta's mother go to the register to help them. Peeta took this opportunity to press Katniss against a wall. She smiled a bit, but looked around the corner through the doorway. "Prim..." she started to say. Peeta shushed her and then said against her lips, "She's okay." He kissed her and she kissed him back. Peeta had to try very hard to keep quiet when Katniss pulled his hair a little too hard, but did not complain. The bell rang, signaling that the customer was leaving, and Peeta stepped back. He grabbed her hand and put it over his chest to show her how fast his heart was beating. She smiled and nodded in agreement.

They stared into each other's eyes, enjoying the other's company, when they heard, "Get out, you little brat! No window shoppers!" They both froze and Katniss's eyes widened, then she pulled away from Peeta. "I have to go. See you tomorrow?" He nodded quickly, handed her the bread, then pushed her out. "Go!" he whispered fiercely.

Prim was shrinking away from Mrs. Mellark, who was towering over her. Katniss bursted into the main room and stood in front of Prim. Katniss was taller than Mrs. Mellark. Still, she did not waver. She shook her fists and yelled, "Get out!" Katniss shook her head once, and Mrs. Mellark reached for the broom that leaned against the wall in the corner. Katniss saw in her perherphial vision that Peeta was standing in the doorway, watching. Katniss held up her bill. "I've got money," she choked out. Mrs. Mellark hesitated for a moment, then held up her broom again, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Where'd you steal that from, huh?"

Katniss sighed, then dragged Prim behind her to the cash register, where Peeta stood. He was very stiff and would not look Katniss in the eye. She put the loaf of bread down and asked for two more, which Peeta went and got. Mrs. Mellark watched the whole time. Katniss noticed, by the smell that wafted up when Peeta put the bread on the counter, that the third loaf was cinnamon. He handed her back sixteen dollars, and Katniss did not expect to have so much. She handed the money to Prim, then stared up at Mrs. Mellark, who was glaring. Not breaking her staring match with Mrs. Mellark, Katniss pushed the money into Prim's hand and said, "Go get a cake." Prim froze for a moment, then looked up at Katniss. "Are you sure, Katniss?" she whispered. Katniss nodded once and Mrs. Mellark threw her hands up, disgusted, then stomped up the stairs.

Prim darted over to the cake display, and Peeta slowly walked over. Prim pointed to a little vanilla cake with purple trim and a pink flower on the top right. Prim pointed to that one and Peeta smiled. "Do you want your name on it?" Prim squealed, "You can do that?" Peeta nodded and then grabbed his piping bag. He let Prim choose the color and she chose purple, to match the trim, and watched Peeta put her name on the cake. Katniss smiled as she watched them. Prim walked about two inches per minute when Peeta handed her the cake, and then she handed it to Katniss. "I don't wanna drop it," she said. Prim headed for the door, and when she wasn't looking, Katniss ran her finger alongside the cake and held her finger up to Peeta. He grinned then held her wrist as he sucked the icing off her finger. He waved and then went back to frosting, and Katniss went to follow Prim out the door. Just before Prim opened the door because Katniss's hands were full, she leaned back. "Katniss," Prim said matter-of-factly, "you've got flour on your butt."

Katniss sat the bread down on the table and took the cake to the room she and Prim shared. They sat Indian style facing each other. They sat and ate the entire cake, right there. Prim chewed with a smile and Katniss just chewed. She didn't really fancy sweet things. When they came down to the last piece, Prim said she couldn't eat anymore and went to go practice her times tables. Katniss had felt like throwing up slices ago, so she picked up the plate and carried it out to Haymitch. He was sitting at the table, tracing the wooden carving with a knife. "Here," Katniss said quietly. She put the cake down on the table and then cut off a slice of cinnamoon bread and took it to her mother. She was dosing so Katniss shook her shoulder then wordlessly handed her the bread. Mom smiled slightly and then took a small bite. Katniss left and saw Haymitch sucking icing off his thumb. It reminded her of the visit with Peeta. She shivered.

"Good?" Katniss asked. Haymitch jumped, and then nodded. Katniss wrapped the bread in the paper they had come in and then put them in the cupboard she was used to seeing empty. She closed the door and felt a new sense of relief. Of comfort. She liked having something in her cupboards.

She turned around and Haymitch was there, a few feet away. He stared down at the floor and then said gruffly, "Things will get better, sweetheart." He stepped forward and hugged her around her shoulders. She stood there, her eyes wide, staring over his shoulder. He held her even tighter for a second, then walked back to the table and sat down, which was where Katniss figured she would find him in the morning. Katniss nodded, and then retired to her bed for the night.

XOXOXO

Haymitch was sleeping with his head on the table when Katniss found him. She woke Prim, put a finger over her lips and then pointed through the door to Haymitch. He gripped a knife in his right hand. Prim nodded and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, then got dressed. Katniss stood in front of the door so Haymitch couldn't see her if he woke up.

Katniss was helping Prim put her hair in twin braids when Haymitch started stirring. He lifted his head up, looked at the table, then put his head back down. Katniss and Prim froze, Prim's hair laced between Katniss's fingers, waiting for him to fall back asleep completely. They heard him snoring and went about getting ready for school. Katniss decided to cut herself a piece of cinnamon bread before she left, just because she had bread and she could, when she woke Haymitch up. Prim's books from school had been left on the floor in the doorway and Katniss didn't see them. She was rushing because she knew it was getting to be the time they left everyday so she wasn't watching the floor. She tripped over the books and an "Ack!" escaped her before she could cover her mouth. She thudded to the floor and barely kept from putting her teeth through her tongue before looking up to see Haymitch on the edge of his chair, knife ready to stab her.

Katniss stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to pull back his knife, to realize it was her and not an intruder. Prim froze behind her. Haymitch grunted and rubbed a hand over his face, pulling the knife away. "Oh," he said, stretching, "it's just you." Katniss stood up and grabbed Prim's arm, pulling her away. Prim scooped up her books and then went straight out the door, not even waiting for Katniss. Katniss forced a laugh and grabbed her bag. "Yeah, I live here."

Haymitch nodded and then held up a five dollar bill. Katniss was curious as to where he got all this money from. Maybe having him around wouldn't be so bad... "Get somethin' warm for you and the kid," he said. She just stood there and he shoved the money toward her again. "Take it!" he insisted. Katniss shook her head and frowned. "Why do you keep giving me money? We don't need you!" Katniss felt like crying. She had sustained this family for long enough. She didn't need his pity!

He snorted once and put the paper on the table. He didn't answer. Katniss continued, "What about you? Don't you need more alcohol or something?" He smiled up at her and said, "If I needed more booze you wouldn't be getting anything, sweetheart. I've got enough for a while. Just take it." Her nostrils flared as she held back tears, then snatched the money. She slammed the door behind her, hoping she woke her mother up so she could spend quality time with Haymitch the Drunk.

The walk to school was quick and cold. Prim had already gotten to school and met up with her friends, so Katniss went straight to her building. She had math that day, with Peeta. Plus, it was Friday. That meant Peeta might be able to take off work and be with Katniss, just be with her. She went straight to her small locker and then to the math room. Peeta sat in his seat and beamed up at her when she walked in the room. They were the only people in the room except the teacher, who was busy writing the plans for the day. She quickly slid into her seat and puled out her math things. Peeta whispered, "I'm allowed off work tonight." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed.

Peeta leaned over the side of his chair and rummaged in his bag to find his math book when KAtniss saw the paper under his arm. She pulled it away from him and examined it, and he tried to snatch it away from her. "No, you can't see that!" Peeta yelled. She held it far away from him and tried to read the letters. _Katniss Mellark_, it said. Her smile slipped away as she read the words again, and then gave him back the paper. Katniss blushed, something she hadn't done in a long time, and opened her math book. Peeta sighed and slid the paper into a folder and tucked it away. "I'm sorry," he said. Katniss exhaled through her nose and asked, "For what?"

Their eyes met. She saw that Peeta was afraid she was upset with her. He saw that she was amused. "What's so funny?" Peeta asked. She smiled a little, then leaned forward and pecked Peeta on the mouth. He started to kiss her back just as she pulled away and the bell rang. She whispered, "I want a painting of that. You know, for when we're married."

**Ohh, boy, that one took a while. I hope you're pleased. Please keep in mind that this is very Au, or OOC or whatever the heck I'm supposed to say. Point is, I'm twisting that characters and places and events and stuff, but not that much. I hope you all liked it, and I would appreciate reviews. They make me smile and sometimes I dance a little bit. But you don't need to know that... Lol. Let me know what you thought- if you didn't like it, you on't have to tell me that, though. That'll just make me sad. Review, you beautiful people who are giving me a chance. Lol. Much love,  
>~Paige<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

Katniss held the brush awkwardly, and it kept twisting its way from her fingers. Just as she thought she had it clenched tightly in her hand, it danced away and fell onto the floor or flicked paint in someone's face. She wished she could paint well like Peeta. He did not even notice her fumbling as he painted the trees behind his portait of her. She was envious of his ability. But then, she thought, trying to cheer herself up, he couldn't hunt like her.

Katniss was painting a picture of a rabbit, which seemed selfish when compared with the fact that Peeta was painting _her_ as his important thing. She was painting this because it was what kept her alive. Peeta, when he'd seen her rugged rough draft, had suggested that she draw the rabbit first and then, as he had put it, "Color in the lines".

Katniss held the brush like you would hold the stick you churn butter with, and dipped it in her green paint. She filled in the top of the paper with green, putting more paint on certain places to make it look like leaves, and then moved to the trees. She grunted and whined when the paint splattered, but otherwise the table was silent. The rest of the class talked, but Peeta and Katniss were too focused.

She did not notice the chuckling beside her and kept painting. Some people would say that her rabbit was deformed, but she thought he just had character. His eyes blended together a bit, and then she put her forearm in the trees. Peeta laughed out loud at that, and Katniss's head whipped up. "Something funny?" she asked, tense.

He laughed and shook his head, then scooted his chair closer to hers. They watched each other, and he moved slowly. she frowned when he started to take the brush from her, but then her just wrapped his hand around hers. She moed over so he could have half of her chair, and she felt his warm side pressed up against hers. "Just, don't be so tense," Peeta said, moving her brush slowly. She tried to watch him so she could mimick the movements. "Imagine how it would look in real life and copy that. Breathe." She exhaled and Peeta moved his other hand to her lower back. She gasped and smiled down at her paper as his hand slipped under her shirt. "Your hands are cold," Katniss whispered, blushing. He smiled and whispered back, "If you can paint that rabbit with my hand up your shirt you can paint _anything_." She sighed and filled pink in the rabbit's ears, and then started gray on its coat. Peeta traced his name into her back, but the teacher walked by and he pulled away. Katniss had finished the rabbit and was now starting on her small stream. Peeta went back to his portait of Katniss, and he had now finished it.

Katniss might as well have been lying on the table, as lifelike as it seemed. He blew on it gently to help dry it, and then took it up to the teacher, who was appraising other students' paintings. "Very good, ooh, I like this one, too." Then she turned to Peeta, who was clutching his painting tightly. She slapped her hands on her cheeks but didn't say anything. She held her hand out, silently asking Peeta to give her the painting. He handed it to her and she held it up high. "Peeta," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes, "this is beautiful."

Peeta smiled a little and ducked his head. Katniss came up behind him with her painting of a rabbit. It was decent. She put it on the stack and turned to go back to her seat, but Peeta grabbed her arm. "Huh?" she asked. Peeta nodded toward his painting and asked, "Do you like it?" The teacher turned it around and held it so Katniss could see, and she covered her mouth. Peeta slid his hand down to grab Katniss's, entwining their fingers. The teacher's eyes flickered down to their hands and then back up. "Katniss is your... your girlfriend?" At the word 'girlfriend' the entire class turned an ear to listen, excited at the idea of something to talk about in their small area. The girls all giggled and whispered to each other and the boys appraised Katniss, then shrugged in a 'she's not half bad' manner. Some of them looked at Peeta and flashed him a smile or gave him a thumbs-up. Katniss stuttered and blushed, and Peeta smiled. "Yes," he said cheerfully.

The teacher cooed, "Oh, and she's your important thing. How cute!" She turned the painting around to face her again, and then frowned. "Why is she holding a bow, though?" Katniss's eyes widened and she gasped, and Peeta held her hand tighter. He gestured to the painting and then Katniss. "I just... I just know that if we weren't fenced in Katniss would be such an outdoors person, don't you think? I could just.. when I decided to paint her I knew that's how it would look."

The class was silent as she listened to Peeta's lie. Katniss was convinced herself that she never hunted in the woods, according to what Peeta had said. The teacher smiled again and then placed Peeta's painting on the top of the stack, then waved her arms for the rest of the class to pick up their things.

As Peeta and Katniss walked back to their seats, Katniss whispered, "I never knew you were such a good liar." Peeta shrugged, and then said, "Well, when you have to sneak out during work to see a beautiful girl, you have to be good at lying to your mother." He flashed her a wicked grin and her mouth dropped. "Peeta! You sneak out?" Peeta quickly looked around and then put a finger over his lips, shushing her. She rolled her eyes and they gathered their belongings.

"Are you busy tonight?" Katniss asked as the bell rang. Peeta focused on his book, troubled. He didn't answer. He seemed to be working up to saying something. He wrung his hands as they walked out the front doors to find Prim. When Prim came into sight, Peeta grabbed Katniss and whispered into her ear, "Come to my house, tonight, six o'clock. I'll be in my room. I'll make sure my mom is distracted. Just go up." He gently kissed her ear, sending shivers down her spine. He looked lovingly into her eyes before walking in the opposite direction. Katniss sighed and watched him go. He did not turn around to see her.

Prim walked up to Katniss, her books held in the crook of her arm. "Is Peeta your boyfriend?" she asked simply. Before Katniss could answer she added, "'Cause if he is maybe we can get free cake."

XOXOXO

Katniss paced in front of the small clock next to her father's mirror. It was only five-thirty. Should she start out now and get there a bit early, or arrive fashionably late? She sighed again and adjusted the collar on her lower-than-she-was-used-to shirt. She tried to imagine what Peeta could want, and why he seemed so nervous about it. Was he going to break up with her? Were they even going out? Did he like her? Did he... love her?

"Waiting for something?" a voice said. Katniss jumped and turned to the doorway where Haymitch stood. He looked painfully sober. She stared at him for a moment, expressionless, then returned to her pacing. Haymitch continued to watch her, and she looked at him from the corner of her eye. Around her nail she asked, "Can I help you?" Haymitch chuckled and then said, "Your mom sleeps a lot."

Katniss stopped pacing, then quirked an eyebrow. "Uh, I know," she said. Haymitch continued, "So, you're the man _and_ the woman of the house?" Katniss nodded again and then paused. "Why?" she asked. Haymitch stepped in the room and reached in his pocket. "Here's five dollars." He held it out to her and she pushed it away angrily. "Why do you keep giving me all this money?" she yelled. She threw her hands up. "Where do you even get it? Do you feel _sorry_ for me? Because I don't need you to! I was fine before you came here and I'll be fine after." Katniss finished her yelling, letting her arms fall to her sides. Haymitch held out the bill again and looked her in the eye. He whispered seriously, "You've been forced to grow up too fast. Take it. Go... play with your boyfriend."

Her eyes widened, full of doubt. "My- my what?" she yelped. Haymitch sighed and shoved the money at her again. "Prim told me she saw you Frenching that boy outside of school, and-"

"We were not... Frenching!"

"Either way," he continued, growing impatient, "she told me that she thought he told you to go somewhere with him later, so here. Just be careful, okay? I don't think you need a baby right now." Without getting too close or creepy, he tucked the folded bill in a small pocket on her shirt. He turned and walked out to the main room where Prim was laying on the floor, working on her homework. He stepped over her and sat back down in his kitchen chair and leaned forward, reading over Prim's shoulder. "School ain't what it used to be..." he mumbled. Katniss gaped at them, then stomped into the kitchen. Prim craned her neck to look up at Katniss. "What?" she asked.

She pointed at Haymitch, who was counting on his fingers, and said, "Um... remember our discussion?" Prim shrugged and shook her head. Katniss shrieked in frustration and pulled her father's hunting jacket on. She yelled over her shoulder, "I'll be back- _maybe_," and then slammed the door, hoping she woke her mother up.

XOXOXO

As she neared Peeta's house, her angry gait slowed. She suddenly wasn't so confident that she wanted to barge in the house and go play with Peeta in his room. She could see that it was unusually busy in the shop, and decided that now would be the best time to sneak upstairs. Katniss cringed as the bell dinged, signaling her entrance.

Katniss pushed her way through the people and made her way to the stairs. She peeked around the corner and saw Mrs. Mellark whaling on bread dough and dashed, as quietly as someone could dash, up the stairs. Her heart started beating so loud she could hear it in her ears as she neared Peeta's door. She closed her eyes, hand on the doorknob, and took a deep breath. Katniss pushed the door open and closed it behind her. Over her heart thudding in her ears she could hear people yelling their orders downstairs.

The room was dark and Katniss could see Peeta's bed made up in white sheets. There was a small amount of rose petals on the bed, and Katniss had to try hard not to laugh. It was adorable, however cliche. Peeta was standing by his window, watching her as she took in the room. She blushed at the solitary candle on a shelf by the bed.

Peeta stepped forward from the shadows by his window. He had the curtains drawn so nobody- what, a two story tall man?- could see in. He walked past her and locked his door, then turned to face her again. She took her jacket off and laid it on a chair in the corner, and Peeta lunged.

They fell to the floor and Peeta kissed Katniss, hard. She kissed him back, wrapping her fingers in his hair. He gasped into her mouth when she tugged on his hair, and this allowed them both a chance for a breath. "I was thinking," Peeta started, but Katniss kissed him and stopped his words. He didn't complain, however. When they had to break apart again, Peeta continued, "About what Mrs.-" Katniss smiled and giggled and asked, "Uh-huh?" against his lips before he lost his train of thought and kissed her again.

He backed up and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Where was his shirt? He mumbled, "About how she asked if you were my girlfriend. I didn't really ask you what you thought." Katniss was silent, watching him. He panted and continued, "I was wondering..." He grabbed her fingers. "Would you like to be?" He looked down at his fingers and waited for Katniss's answer. She laughed once, in her throat, and then got up on her knees so she was level with Peeta. His eyes widened but then closed when she laughed, "You're so dumb. Of course," and kissed him. Maybe Haymitch _wasn't_ wrong about Frenching...

Minutes, maybe even hours passed before the floor was warmed up. It was just beginning to get dark outside and the shop was mostly empty. The panting was too loud to hear Mrs. Mellark thumping up the stairs, and their sweet whispers distracted them from hearing her tap across the hallway. It was too late to get up from the floor when she opened the door, and Katniss had already caught the blow across the side of her face before she could pull her shirt sleeves on. Her whole body shifted to the side and she crumpled to the floor, clutching her eye. Mrs. Mellark had a _ridiculous_ right hook!

"Mom!" Peeta shrieked. He dropped to the floor to make sure Katniss wasn't bleeding, which she wasn't, and then he stood up, still shirtless. Mrs. Mellark seethed, "I told you never to bring that worthless Seam girl here!" Peeta screamed in her face, "Get out! If you weren't a woman I'd beat you down! Get _out!_"

He was still screaming in her face and Katniss's tears had started to flow when Mr. Mellark came up the stairs. "What's going on here?" he thundered. Katniss was used to him having such a soft, compassionate voice that his yelling frightened her. Mr. Mellark looked wildly around the room, trying to figure out what was happening. Katniss was crying on the floor with no shirt, but a bra, thank goodness, and Peeta, who was also shirtless, was locked in a screaming match with his mother. There was a candle lit on the stand and rose petals on the bed, and Mr. Mellark finally understood what was happening. Peeta liked this girl, Katniss.

He shook his head. Peeta was only trying to be alone with this girl. He was 16, more than old enough to decide who he wanted to be with. And now they would probably get sued or something because Katniss's eye was already starting to bruise. Mr. Mellark walked forward and grabbed his wife by the arm and dragged her down the stairs. She screamed and kicked the whole way.

"We need to talk."

**Well, I hope that pleased. I had gym today and am in dire need of a shower, so this note won't be very long. I'm not sure what direction I'm taking this in or why I'm writing this, but I'm glad some people like this. And, I'm only in the eighth grade, so they aren't gonna... procreate. Sorry, 8th biology... Lol. But this won't be like that. This was a big step for me, writing this. Any ideas on how to proceed? Requests? Please let me know. I have one more thing to ask- review! Oh, and on top of that, what are some catchy Team Peeta slogans? I'm getting a shirt made for the March 23rd premeir (how do you spell that?) and I don't know what to put on it. Something catchy and short. Lol. Much love,  
>~Paige Mellark... As if. <strong>


	9. Chapter 9

Mr. Mellark had called for Peeta to go downstairs and talk with them, but not before he gave Katniss one more kiss. It wasn't warm like before, but felt like it would be the last one they got. Katniss zipped her coat over her body and wrapped some ice Peeta gave her in her shirt, pressing it to her face. Her eye was throbbing and felt hot despite the ice.

She stumbled in the dark along the path she knew would take her to her house. When she thought she couldn't walk any further because she was shivering so badly, she flung the door open and went to her small room. Her quiet sobs echoed throughout the house, but her mother and Prim were asleep. She put her ice down on the floor and rummaged around for a new shirt. There was a small fire built and it felt so good that Katniss took her jacket off and, only in her bra, shivered by the fire.

She kept one hand clamped over her eye and waited to unthaw. Katniss knew she shouldn't have gone over there. And, although she hated her, Katniss was jealous of Mrs. Mellark's arm. She knew that her eye would be throbbing for a long time.

"So you've got yourself a woman beater, huh?" Haymitch asked. Katniss tensed but did not turn to face him- she wasn't wearing a shirt. She said through tears and clenched teeth, "It wasn't him." Haymitch did not move. He sounded sober. "Who, then?" he asked. Katniss rolled her eyes but couldn't force out any words. She cringed away when she heard his boots thud across the floor. He put a hand on her shoulder but it didn't make her feel uncomfortable. He was warm.

"Let me see," he said gently. She pulled her hand away after a few seconds and tried to control her breathing. Haymitch poked that soft spot under her eyebrow and she slapped his hands away. He let her. "Well, you've got yourself a shiner there," he said. Katniss whimpered, "Is it bruising?" Haymitch barked a laugh and nodded. "Yeah, sweetheart, it is."

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hands away from her face. He ducked down and asked again, quietly, "Who hit you?" Katniss's lip trembled and a few more tears streamed down her face, then she squeaked out, "Peeta Mellark's mom." Haymitch let her go and handed her a shirt. She pulled it on silently and sat down on her bed. "Do you want me to go down there?" he asked, sounding protective. Katniss found herself wondering if he had any family. Maybe he just wanted to take care of someone. Right now, she would let him. She shrugged weakly. "If you wanna," she said.

Haymitch stared at her for a moment, and then sighed. "Why'd she hit you?" Haymitch asked, crossing his arms. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. It wasn't like they had done anything _wrong_. She knew girls in her grade who did a lot more. "Katniss?" Haymitch asked again, "What did you do?" She sniffed but would not look at him. Haymitch's arms fell to his sides and he yelled, "Did you guys have-"

"No!" Katniss yelled at her feet. Haymitch sat on the bed next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into his chest and started bawling. He held her tighter. "No," Katniss moaned, and then she sobbed. She held her eye again, reaching for her ice. Haymitch handed it to her and held it to her head. She kept her hand over his. "It hurts," she cried. He rocked her back and forth. "I know, sweetheart. I know." He looked at a watch he kept in his pocket and then pulled her up. "Get your coat," he said, walking toward the door. Katniss noticed he tucked his knife in his pocket. "I wanna talk to this boy's parents."

Katniss slipped her boots back on as soon as Prim woke up. "What's going on, Katniss?" she asked, sleep evident in her voice. Katniss turned her eye away from Prim and said, "Nothing. Go back to bed. We'll be back soon." Prim waited for a moment, but Katniss nodded and Prim went back to her mother's room.

Katniss followed Haymitch through the dark to twon, where few people milled around. The bakery was well lit-up. Haymitch stopped at the end of the street and looked at Katniss, who had by now gotten her crying under control. "Where?" Haymitch asked. Katniss didn't answer at first.

"We don't have to do this," she said. "Peeta's already in trouble. This won't help anything." Haymitch sighed, irritated, and then asked again, "Where does he live?" Katniss stomped toward the bakery, Haymitch following her. "So you're in love with a baker?" Haymitch chuckled. Katniss said nothing.

"Mom! Mom, stop it!"

"Now, just let him talk-"

"She's trash! I don't want her in my house!"

"Don't say that!"

"Mom, she's"

"She's filthy and poor, is what she is!"

"Just let him-"

"She's worthless!"

"_I love her!"_

Haymitch, acting oblivious to the argument, knocked on the door. Katniss stood behind him, waiting. She saw him reach in his pocket for his knife, and he used his other hand to give her a smaller one. How many knives did the man carry? He tucked it into her hand from behind him, and then pulled her to his side. "You right handed?" he asked. She nodded, watching the floor. "Keep it in your right pocket," Haymitch whispered. Just before the door flew open, Katniss whisper-yelled, "I don't have any pockets!"

"What?" Mrs. Mellark screamed out the door. Haymitch smiled lazily at her, then said, "What are your hours?" Katniss had to try to keep from laughing. She would never be able to be humorous like that in a situation like this. Mrs. Mellark's eye flickered from Haymitch to Katniss, and her eyes narrowed at what she saw there. "You," she hissed, pointing her finger at Katniss. Haymitch's grip on his knife tightened. "What about her?" he asked.

She could see Peeta behind Mr. Mellark, and his eyes widened impossibly. As Haymitch and Mrs. Mellark yelled back and forth, Peeta looked up to his dad, who nodded. "I'm proud of you, son. Go," he said. He hugged him and then looked at Katniss. Peeta ran past his mother and grabbed Katniss's arm. They ran to the end of the short driveway, waiting. They held hands as they listened to their parents argue.

"What did she do that was _so bad_ that you can look at me and tell me it was okay to punch her? What could be that bad?" Haymitch yelled. Mr. Mellark did not come to his wife's defense, and no one blamed him. It didn't make sense to anyone that they ended up together.

"She's was trying to get my son to get her pregnant so he would have to take care of her! She wants us to be poor just like she is!" She screamed some more mean things at Katniss while Peeta whispered in her ear that the things she said weren't true. Haymitch backed up when he started shaking. Katniss saw Mrs. Mellark pull her arm back like she was ready to punch Haymitch, and if Katniss knew anything, she knew that Mrs. Mellark's punches hurt. On instinct she threw the knife Haymitch had given her at Mrs. Mellark, but she wasn't used to throwing yet, so the knife missed Mrs. Mellark's head and stuck in the wall next to her.

Haymitch turned around and flashed Katniss a thumbs-up, and then turned around and wrapped his arms around Mrs. Mellark, pinning her arms to her sides. He took two huge steps into the house and then sat her down. "Come by anytime, Mr. Mellark," Haymitch said, slamming the door behind him. He pointed in front of him, telling them to go, while Peeta's father watched them out the window. Katniss and Peeta waved and then sprinted, Haymitch trailing them, to Katniss's house.

**Sorry this is so short. I'm just not having a good day. I just got back from visiting my mother in the hospital. She's got pneumonia. I just really can't focus right now...  
>Reviews are appreciated. Much love,<br>~Paige**


	10. Chapter 10

Prim saw them coming and opened the door just as soon as their feet hit the front step. They crashed into the kitchen and Haymitch followed, panting. "There's my exercise for the year," he breathed. Katniss got her breath back fairly quickly, whereas Peeta had to brace himself on the table. "Don't run much?" Katniss asked. Peeta shook his head, unable to form words. "Did your mom hit you?" Katnis asked more quietly. Peeta turned his head to show a mark on his neck Katniss hadn't noticed before. She noticed a fainter bruise on his bicep.

Prim poked at the bruise on Peeta's arm and then stated quietly, "It should go away in a few days. Put ice on it." Peeta nodded and then looked up to Katniss and Haymitch. "Well," Haymitch said, rolling his shoulder joint, "I think your dad knows you're staying here for a while, so get comfortable." He went and sat in his chair, laying his knife on the table.

"We're okay, Prim," Katniss said, gently pushing her toward her mother's bed. "We're not going out again. Get some rest." Prim watched them for a moment, yawned, and went back to bed. Her mother never stirred once.

"You guys gonna... be okay?" Haymitch asked, quirking an eyebrow. They both nodded. He sat back in his chair and Katniss led Peeta to her small corner. She pulled back her blankets and gestured for Peeta to get in, and then she found a spare blanket, dragging a pillow to the floor. "No, uh-uh," Peeta said, standing up off the bed. "This is your house. I'll sleep on the floor." He pulled the pillow away from her and she sighed impatiently. "Peeta," she ordered, "get in the bed." He shook his head once and laid down.

In the dark, Katniss sat on her knees and watched him. He laid on his side, watching her, and she slammed both fists onto the floor. "Fine!" she screeched. "Get in the bed!" She stood up off the floor and helped Peeta up, tucking him in the bed first. She slid in next to him and folded the covers over them. They both laid on their backs, awkwardly rigid and tense. Katniss sighed at the ceiling and Peeta sniffed, and they stayed like that.

Very slowly, in the dark under the blankets, Peeta's hand creeped toward Katniss's. She wrapped her fingers around his and relaxed.

XOXOXO

Peeta woke up, Katniss wrapped in his arms. He sighed and laid his head back down in her hair, expecting their kids to come in at any moment and jump on them. "Daddy!" they would yell and laugh, "Momma! Come outside and play with us!"

But no.

It took Peeta a moment to realize that he and Katniss were not married and had no children. He further realized how sore he was, and how he was in Katniss's bed. Katniss sighed and shifted closer to him, and he wrapped his arms tighter around her. He was content to lay with his face in her hair and he stayed that way for a while, but then Katniss groaned. She sat halfway up and Peeta froze, wondering if he had done something wrong. Her eyes were still closed as she turned on her side to face away from him, then laid back down and scooted into Peeta. He held completely still for a moment, tense, then sighed, tickling strands of her hair. He was... spooning with Katniss Everdeen.

There _was_ a chance.

Peeta draped an arm over Katniss's midsection and closed his eyes, expecting to get a few more hours of sleep. Katniss moved one foot and pressed her cold toes to his leg, and he knew sleep would never come. So instead he looked around her room.

It was obvious she shared the small space with Prim, as there were little girl clothes stored with Katniss's. Pieces of paper and math books littered the floor, obviously Prim's doing. How old was she, anyway? 12? Peeta decided 12 sounded right.

As Peeta traced the soot marks on the walls with his eyes he grew tired. He yawned and then pulled the warm covers higher up on Katniss's shoulders, and pulled her into him. She sighed softly and Peeta smiled. He was tempted to lean over her and kiss her lips, but settled for her shoulder. He slept.

XOXOXO

Peeta woke again, Katniss still wrapped tightly in his arms. _I'm never moving again,_ he thought. Katniss turned again and faced him, slowly blinking awake. "Peeta," she whispered. He pretended to be asleep, waiting to see what she would do to wake him. She poked him in the chest and he twitched, then she softly blew on his collar bone. He twitched like something was bothering him, but on the inside he was screaming.

Katniss breathed and it warmed Peeta's shirt. He stirred and cleared his throat as soon as Katniss pressed her cheek to Peeta's chest. "Hey," he whispered, rubbing his eyes. She smiled slightly and pushed herself up on the board at the foot of the bed so she was level with him. She had her back to the door, where nobody could be seen.

Katniss put one hand on Peeta's cheek and pressed her lips to his. He didn't refuse her. They started slow, but then the blankets ended up a squirming fabric mountain as they discovered the bed was smaller than Peeta's floor. Afraid of being seen, Katniss had pulled the blankets over their heads, but the excessive panting had made it way too hot under there, so they were forced to push it back.

Peeta scrunched up his nose, his eyes clamped shut, as Katniss bit his bottom lip, and then he kissed her chin. She had tilted her head back whn Peeta put his hand on her stomach. She laughed breathily and then kissed him again, which he gladly returned. His hand moved up a little further, tickling her ribs. Katniss pulled back and looked him in the eye. Their eyes open, they kissed. Katniss's eyes eventually slipped closed and she placed her hands on his cheeks, index fingers over his ears, but Peeta kept his eyes open. He wanted to see her face. It was becoming increasing difficult, however, to focus on her face when he could taste her tongue.

Katniss rolled her neck and put her right leg over Peeta's waist and he grunted. She peppered kisses along his neck and then went back in for his lips. She bit him, apparently her new favorite thing, when Peeta noticed. "Kat- Katniss," he whispered, pulling his lip from between her teeth, "uh..." He could not look at him.

"Hungry?" Haymitch asked, holding up a slice of bread from the doorway. Katniss, still facing Peeta, gasped, ducking her head. After a moment of Haymitch chuckling and then laughing, Katniss, face beet-red, flipped over. She dragged a hand over her face. "Just a minute, Haymitch," she said. Peeta hid his face behind Katniss. Haymtch bit into his bread and asked around a mouthful, "Is everyone decent?" Katniss grabbed the pillow from under her head and threw hit at Haymitch, who easily dodged it.

"No babies are coming, then?"

"_Haymitch!"_ Katniss screamed. He had apparently gotten ahold of some alcohol, then. She saw a half-empty bottle on the table behind him, but it did not look as big as the one he'd come with the first time. He laughed, his mouth full of chewed up bread, then went out into the kitchen. Katniss tossed the covers onto the floor and stood up. They slept in the same clothes as they'd worn yesterday.

Katniss stretched her arms over her head and asked, "Do you think your dad's mad you stayed here?" Peeta shook his head and stood up. "No," he said, finger-combing his hair, "he told me to. He said he was proud of me, but I don't know why." Katniss smiled and playfully slapped his arm. "I'm proud of you," she said. Then her voice took on a serious tone. "For running away from your mother," she said. "Do you think she's mad?"

"I don't care if she's mad."

Katniss nodded, looking at the floor. "Did she hit you a lot, you know, before?" she asked her bare feet. Peeta didn't seem to mind answering. "No. Only if I, like, wasted something or messed something up in front of a customer. Anything that affected her. And she wouldn't stand there and beat on me. It was just a slap or sometimes a punch and I had to go fix what I messed up."

Katniss frowned then gestured for Peeta to follow her. They padded into the kitchen where Haymitch was taking a swig from his bottle. He didn't look drunk, but he didn't look rock solid, either. Katniss's mother was up, but she paid no attention to the new boy in her house. She took her slice of bread and then walked back to her room, gazing at Katniss's father's possessions.

Katniss cut two slices of cinnamon bread and handed one to Peeta. Prim helped herself. They ate quietly while Haymitch asked Prim about school. "Do you like school?" he asked. Prim shrugged, tearing a corner off her bread and throwing it to the floor. "Buttercup!" she cooed. The world's ugliest cat sauntered in the room, throwing a distasteful look toward Katniss, who glared back. "I should've drowned you when I had the chance," she muttered.

Buttercup hissed, picked up the bread, and rubbed his side against Prim's leg. Prim scratched between his ears and he purred. Peeta smiled down at the cat, amused. "It's ugly," he laughed. Prim tipped her nose up. "Not ugly," she sniffed. "He's unique." Peeta laughed again and bit into his bread.

"What're we doing today?" Peeta asked. Katniss stared thoughtfully at the table before she said, "I don't know. Wanna go hunting? We're getting kinda low on... everything." Peeta shrugged and Haymitch grinned. "You guys are gonna make out in the woods, huh?" he teased. Prim scrunched up her nose and put her bread down. "Gross," she whispered to Buttercup.

Katniss glared at Haymitch. "No," she said, standing up. She grabbed her game bag and reached for her jacket, and Peeta stood up to join her. "Maybe you should put a shirt on, son," Haymitch said. Peeta looked at him, confused. "I'm wearing a sh..." he trailed off, noticing he in fact was _not_ wearing a shirt. He looked back to Katniss's bed and saw his shirt wadded up on Katniss's pillow. He blushed fiercely and walked in for his shirt. He pulled it over his head and went back out in the kitchen.

Katniss already had her coat on and had her hand on the doorknob, ready to leave. Peeta took two steps to the door when Haymitch patted the chair next to him. "You go ahead, Katniss," Haymitch rumbled. She rolled her eyes and opened the door, walking out. Peeta cautiously sat down at the table and Haymitch sat his bottle down and pushed it toward Peeta. "Have a drink," Haymitch said with a smile. Peeta shook his head, feeling like this was a test. "I don't drink," he said quietly. Haymitch smiled wider. "I like you already," he said.

Haymitch braced his elbows on the table, suddenly serious. "If you get Katniss pregnant, I will stab you in your sleep," he said simply. Peeta squinted and shook his head. "We don't do that..." he said. Haymitch raised an eyebrow and Peeta nodded again once. "Honest," Peeta insisted.

Haynitch sat back, twirling his knife between his fingers. Peeta swallowed hard. Haymitch said, "I would hate to hurt you. Don't give me a reason." They both sat still, except for Haymitch's fingers, which were still twirling the hilt of his knife over and over. Finally Haymitch nodded toward the door. "Go."

Peeta nodded and tried to force a smile, then walked out the door, searching for Katniss. She was squatting at the base of a tree, and she stood up when Peeta neared her. "What was that about?" she asked. Peeta shrugged and kept his focus on the woods. "I don't know," he said. Katniss watched him for a moment and then they made their way toward the hole in the fence.

XOXOXO

"I love you," Peeta moaned into Katniss's neck. He had tackled her to the ground, but it wasn't like she minded. She caught herself on her elbows and he braced himself over her on his palms, and they kissed. Katniss, Peeta decided, tasted like cinnamon bread. "We're supposed to be hunting," Katniss panted around Peeta's tongue. He nodded but didn't stop kissing her. She laid back and laced her fingers in his hair. He put his hands on the sides of her ribs, fingers stretched to cover as much of her as he could. Katniss pulled back and Peeta pressed a kiss to the base of her throat. "I... I think I love you too," Katniss whispered. Peeta smiled into her throat and she sighed.

"Did you hear that, Peeta?" Katniss asked, suddenly serious. Peeta froze, his face inches away from Katniss's neck, and shook his head. The sunlight danced on his loose blond curls. "No," he whispered. He cocked his head to the side, trying to hear what Katniss had heard, when Katniss dug her hands into his shoulders and rolled him off her. She laughed and before Peeta knew what he was supposed to be hearing, Katniss's hair made a curtain around all the sides of his face. "Gotcha," she said mischeviously. Peeta grinned up at her and leaned up for another kiss. "I don't mind," he whispered. For the longest time, there was no whispering.

There was no biting or pulling on each other's hair or scratches. Just sweet, short, warm kisses. The sunlight warmed their sides, as they had rolled over again, and their legs were entangled. The moist earth was fragrant beneath them. Peeta held Katniss's hand over his heart, like he did that day in the bakery, and Katniss smiled. Her eyes drifted closed and Peeta laid and watched her. Her traced every part of her face with her eyes. Her high brows, the shadows under her eyes, her full lips. There were bite marks in her bottom lip, and Peeta blushed. She had long, dark eyelashes and a straight nose. Peeta couldn't bring himself to think about how he would be spending his time if it hadn't been for math class.

**Well, that was a sucky ending. Aw, yeah, sucky ending, yeah! Lol. Jersey Shore is on in the living room, sorry. Lol. Well, let me know what you thought about this dumb little filler chapter. Sorry it was so short. My mommy's home! She came home today while I was in school. She said thank you for all the nice things you guys said, and I wanted to say the same. It's appreciated. **

**You know what song I love? Boombastic by Shaggy. Look it up. But only if your parents are cool. Lol. Watch it alone first, just to see if they'll be okay with it. Or you could just get the lyrics. Lol. Well, that was pretty random. Just thought I'd share that. Maybe I'll put up a cool song every chapter. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Lol. Review, lovies! Blow up my email! Lol. Much love,  
>~Paige<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

Thunder boomed overhead. Lightning lit up the sky and Katniss turned over in her sleep, mumbling. Peeta, even in the dark, could see her forehead creased with a frown. Prim was sleeping with her mother and Haymitch had brought a cot from somewhere to place by the fireplace. Katniss loaned him a blanket, which he gladly accepted. His empty bottle rolled on the floor under his cot.

Peeta shivered and burrowed further down in the tangle of blankets. This woke Katniss up, and she started. "Shh," Peeta said, gently pushing her back down into the warm sheets. "It's okay." She closed her eyes and put a hand on her forehead, sweeping back her hair. "Where's Prim?" she asked. Peeta quietly replied, "With your mother." She nodded and then turned her legs to the side, slipping from the bed. She padded to the door and then turned around. "I'm just going to check," she whispered.

Peeta nodded and closed his eyes, rolling over onto Katniss's spot, trying to keep it warm. _On second thought, if it's _not_ warm she'll have to get closer to me,_ Peeta thought. He smirked to himself and rolled back over, pulling the covers off Katniss's spot. He saw her tiptoe into the kitchen and lean over Haymitch. She waited for a few moments, turned and held her hands out to the fire, and then turned and walked back into her room. Peeta only noticed her lack of pants as she crawled on her knees on the bed, then fell to her side and slid under the covers. Just shorts. Short, green shorts.

Fine with him.

Katniss wrapped her arm around Peeta's midsection and snuggled down, then looked up at him tiredly. "I was just checking Haymitch's pulse. He's out. Prim and my mother are fine." Peeta felt warm because Katniss was sharing this with him. Like she would share the stories of their kids' days when he came home from work and they were alone in their room...

Peeta nodded and rested his chin on Katniss's head. Lightning cracked and Katniss flinched, and Peeta held her tighter. Peeta was tired, but he couldn't get back to sleep. The thunder was too deafening and the lightning made him shiver. Katniss wrapped her leg over Peeta's and sighed, and Peeta felt the rise and fall of her chest until she fell asleep. Her steady breathing had almost lulled him to sleep when thunder roared for thirty seconds straight. Prim yelped but her mother held her, and Katniss shot straight up again.

"I hate this!" she moaned, pulling at her hair. She was close to crying. "I want it to stop!" Peeta sat up and pulled her into him so her back was pressed against his chest and she sat between his legs. She turned halfway around and leaned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her stomach. "I know," he said quietly. She moaned and tried to pull away when the lightning lit up the room, accompanied by a loud clap of thunder, but Peeta held her fast. "Listen," he whispered into her ear. She grumbled and clapped her hands over her ears, shaking her head.

Peeta laughed and grabbed her left hand, kissing her fingertips. "Just listen," he said against her ring finger, "it's kinda... rhythmic." She set her jaw but moved her other hand down to her lap and watched Haymitch twitch. Thunder, lightning. Thunder, thunder, lightning. Thunder, lightning. Thunder, thunder, lightning. Peeta was right, it did have rhythm.

Everytime Katniss flinched, Peeta kissed her shoulder. She leaned back into him and they eventually laid back. "You know," Peeta said, staring at the ceiling, "if you count the seconds between the lightning strikes you can tell how far away it is." To punctuate this sentence, lightning struck and Peeta whispered, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, ei-" Lightning struck again. He said, "There. Seven miles away. We're safe."

Katniss smiled tiredly and then twisted around to kiss Peeta. They fell asleep like that, with Katniss laying on Peeta's chest, his arms around her, counting the lightning.

XOXOXO

"Get off me, you idiot," Peeta heard. His eyes popped open and he looked toward the sound. Katniss was laying next to him, pushing Buttercup on the floor. He breathed a sigh of relief and cracked his back. "I thought you were talking to me," Peeta laughed. Katniss stretched her arms over her head and yawned. "No, the dumb cat," she said. Buttercup hissed, then left the room in search for Prim.

Katniss laid in the bed for a moment, hand on her forehead, before she cursed. "We have school today!" she yelped. Peeta sat up and said, "No. Today's Sunday." Katniss shook her head, standing up to pull a pair of pants on over her shorts. "It's Monday!"

Peeta jumped out of the bed and looked toward his dresser when he realized he was not in his house. "I don't have any clean clothes," Peeta said. Katniss looked toward his neck and said, "You do, however, have a wonderful bruise." Peeta poked two fingers into the bruise and immediately pulled his fingers away. He pointed to Katniss. "So do you."

She stood up, feeling on her face. "Is it my eye?" she asked. Peeta nodded. The bruise stretched from under her eye, all the way to the side of her nose and above her eyebrow. Some parts of it had started healing and turning yellow, but the bruise was mostly an ugly purple. She frowned but threw her hands up. "It doesn't matter. If anyone asks I'll just say I fell or something."

Katniss left Peeta in her room to go into the kitchen. "Haymitch," she asked, "do you have any clothes that would fit Peeta?" Haymitch turned from rummaging in the cupboards and sighed. "I might. Why?" Katniss broke a corner off a loaf of bread and bit into it. "We have school today," she said. Haymitch grabbed a small bag under his cot and pawed through it, pulling out a pair of tan pants. "Here," he said, holding them out to Katniss. "These should fit."

She took them and tossed them through the doorway. Haymitch pursed his lips. "Well, _I_ could've done that," he said. Katniss smiled and went in her mother's room to wake up Prim, but she was gone. Katniss shook her mother awake and demanded, "Where's Prim?" Her mother shrugged and yawned. "Ask Haymitch," she said. Katniss rolled her eyes and stomped out to the kitchen, where Peeta was wearing Haymitch's pants. "Where's my sister?" Katniss asked. Haymitch nodded toward the door. "She left already," he said. Katniss yelled, "And you didn't think to tell her to wait for me?" Haymitch shook his head and asked slowly, "Why? Should I have?" Katniss nodded and slipped her shoes on.

"Come on, Peeta," Katniss growled, "I have to go make sure my sister hasn't been kidnapped." Haymitch sighed and grabbed his knife. "I'll come, too," he said. Katniss rolled her eyes and Peeta shrugged apologetically. Haymitch sighed again, shoulders slumped, and took a long drink from his bottle.

XOXOXO

"Prim!" Katniss yelled, heaving her bag higher up on her shoulder. Haymitch kept pace with the two and asked again, "I don't understand. She's twelve years old. Why can't she walk by herself?" Katniss glared up at him and mumbled, "I've already lost my father. I don't need to lose Prim, too." Haymitch blew his breath out of his nose and Katniss yelled again, "Prim!"

They walked for about five more minutes, constantly looking from side to side along the path to school, and then Peeta grabbed Katniss's arm. "She's over there!" Peeta shouted.

Prim was scowling at three boys who had pinned her up against a tree. She shoved at them and they laughed. "C'mon, just one kiss," the boy in front of her said. She shook her head and turned her face away when he leaned in. His lips met her cheek and Prim gagged. "Don't be like that!" another boy laughed. The boy in front braced his forearm over her head on the tree- he was a lot taller than her- and grabbed her chin. "Do it," he insisted. He tapped his cheek. "Right here."

Prim glared at them and swallowed. She leaned forward and, before Katniss could yell "No!" Prim had spit in the boy's face. He yelled and wiped off his face, then drew his fist back. "You asked for it!" he barked. Prim cringed away, and so did the boy when a knife stabbed in the tree above his head. He froze, his fist still poised to punch Prim, and turned around. Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta were standing about twenty feet away. Haymitch held another knife in his hand.

"Let her go," Haymitch hissed. The boys didn't move and Haymitch raised the knife, ready to throw it again. "I won't miss this time," he promised. The boys' eyes widened and they ran away, tripping over their own feet. Prim held her books tightly to her chest and ran over to Katniss. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to be late! I was going to meet my friends and-" Katniss crushed her to her chest.

"It- it's fine," Katniss choked out. She let Prim pull away and Katniss tried to force a smile. "I just want you to wake me up before you leave. Every day. Okay?" Prim nodded and then turned to Haymitch. Haymitch looked more sober than ever, and he didn't look tired or anything. He looked... normal. Prim smiled up at him and said, "Thanks, Haymitch." He nodded and then picked her up under her arms, lifting her on his shoulders. She giggled and he smiled. Katniss stared at Haymicth, but Prim looked so happy that she just shook it off and asked Prim, "You still wanna go to school?" Prim nodded and they walked toward the building.

XOXOXO

Peeta had gone back to his house for the night to work a shift and get some clothes. Mr. Mellark had promised that Peeta and his mother would have no contact for a while. Katniss and Prim had just come back from shopping at the bakery- just a loaf of bread this time- and visitng with Peeta. She put the bread in the increasingly growing stock of food in their cupboard and sat down across from Haymitch. He was awake but didn't seem very attentive. Katniss waited for him to look up from the wooden table and acknowledge her, but he didn't. A fire crackled behind him, and in its light Katniss thought she saw a tear sliding down Haymitch's face.

"Are you okay?" Katniss whispered. Haymitch laughed once and used the back of his hand to wipe off his cheeks. "Yeah," he sniffed. Katniss watched him, waiting. He did not speak so Katniss decided to start slow. "Aren't you and my mother supposed to be dating, or something? Why do you sleep in the kitchen?" Haymitch slowly shook his head at that table. "I just wanted someone to take care of," he whispered. "I wanted to mean something to someone. I'm sorry." Katniss couldn't respond. He sounded so sad. "You know the Hunger Games?" Katniss nodded.

"I survived those." Katniss gasped, then put a hand on his arm. He continued, his voice breaking often, "I cheated. I used a forcefield they had put there to kill another tribute with her own weapon. They killed my mother, my younger brother, and my girlfriend." Katniss felt a hot tear slide down her face. "I drank a lot," he said, looking toward the half empty bottle next to him. "Nobody came in my house and I liked it that way. I hated life for a long time... And then... I saw Prim..." He trailed off. He covered his face.

"I saw Prim," he said again in a stronger voice, "outside at recess at her school and something hit me. I... my girlfriend and I, we were going to have a family. I wanted a little blonde girl, like Prim. She wanted one, too. Then they killed her before we could start a family." He sobbed once at this, and Katniss covered her mouth with both hands, trying to keep any sound from escaping. Haymitch looked toward Prim's room, where she slept. He whispered, "I saw her and I watched where she walked. I went there the next day and talked to your mother. Asked if she wanted help around the house. She gave me a set of keys, just like that. I know, it was wrong of me to follow her like that, but I couldn't help myself. I felt... I felt like part of a family. Finally, I wasn't alone. I knew you'd be mad, but I... I wanted o do something. I wanted to help because no one ever helped me. Nobody cared that they had killed everything that meant something to me."

Katniss let a sob come out and Haymitch tried to smile up at her. "Don't cry," he said. "I always wanted a strong girl like you. Is it okay if I stay here?" he asked. Katniss nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. "I won't drink anymore. I just want to not feel so empty all the time. When I'm here, I can pretend you're my kids," he said softly. Katniss swallowed and shook her head. "You don't have to pretend," she said, standing up to hug him. "You can stay here. Prim needs a father. I need... I need someone like that, too." Haymitch hugged her back and whispered, "I'm not gonna force myself on you. I know you still hurt for your dad." Katniss's entire body racked with silent sobs. She was crying more than Haymitch was.

"But if you ever need someone like that, someone to talk to, I'm here. Maybe someday you'll want me to be your father. But for now, you can just call me Haymitch."

**Well, was that sad? I felt sad writing it. Lol. I just wanted to write Haymitch as not always a drunk, but still kind of a drunk? I don't know. And I just realized a part that's probably confusing about the reapings. Haymitch is going to be a mentor, which means that he will have to leave for a while to mentor and stuff. But his tributes are going to... not win, so he'll be back. He won't be gone for very long for it, though. Okies? Just thought I'd clear that up. Okay, here's the new song of the day: The Creep by The Lonely Island. Ever heard that? It's a goooooood song. Probably another chapter up today- I'm feeling inspired. Reviews make me smile, and I love you all!  
>~Paige<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

Haymitch was sitting at the table, and Prim was sitting with him, reading a book about animals. There was a small bottle in Haymitch's hand, almost completely full; he had only taken two drinks. Prim hadn't said a word to him- she wasn't too busy reading to miss the bottle.

Katniss had taken Peeta back home to stay for a while. His mother was supposedly calm enough to share a house with, and his father promised to keep them seperated anyway. Mrs. Everdeen had, to everyone's jaw dropping shock, gone to visit one of her old friends in town. Prim had smiled so big Haymitch had thought it would hurt her cheeks. Prim piped up occasionaly, but other than her and the crackling of the small fire in the hearth, it was silent.

"Did you know that ducks are very social animals and they suffer if they don't have companionship?" Prim asked quicetly. Haymitch chuckled and Prim turned the book to show him a picture of two ducks cuddling. He offered, "You're kinda like a duck, ya know. You can talk to anybody." She gave him a small smile and returned to her book. Haymitch looked back at the table where he'd been staring, but then heard a small, "Quack." Prim was smiling at her pages and Haymitch smiled to himself.

They were silent for a while longer and then Prim said, "Goat pupils are rectangular!" She slammed the book down on the table and ran outside to check on Lady. Haymitch heard, "Woah!" and laughed. Prim came back, still smiling, and sat down with her book. She flipped a few pages but looked up at Haymitch. His hair had made a curtain around his face. "You okay?" Prim asked. Haymitch looked up and smiled. He nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Katniss opened the door and tugged on her shirt, trying to pull it down. It was quite twisted and Haymitch chuckled. She quickly went in her room and dropped something on her bed, and then Katniss shot him a look but then her eyes flickered down to his bottle. Prim noticed them staring and she flipped her book closed. "I'm gonna go milk Lady before it gets too dark," she said quietly. Katniss slowly walked toward him and sat down in Prim's chair. She stared at her hands. "Thought you were done drinking," she mumbled. She looked up at him expectantly.

He sighed and raised his eyebrows, smiling at her. "I did too," he said. His face fell and he leaned on his elbows. His chin touched his chest and he told the table, "The reapings are this week." Katniss nodded. "I know," she replied. Haymicth rubbed his hands over his face. "I have to mentor for our tributes." Katniss squinted. "I know you won, but do they force you or is it a choice?" Haymitch stuck his bottom lip out and shook his head. "I'm forced to. Why wouldn't I? Even though we don't ever win, they could do with help." Katniss nodded.

They sat silently for a few more minutes and then Haymitch held out the bottle to Katniss. She shook her head and started to say, "I don't drink," but Haymitch stopped her. "Dump this for me, sweetheart?" Katniss smiled a bit and took the bottle. She dumped it outside on the ground. She came back in and went to her room, emerging with the thing she had put on her bed. "Mr. Mellark gave me this for letting Peeta stay here," she said, putting it on the table in front of Haymitch. "Even though you sleep in front of the fire, it gets cold, doesn't it?" she said with a small laugh. It was a navy blue blanket. It looked hardly used. Haymitch pulled it into his lap and stared hard at it. "Thank you," he rumbled.

Katniss smiled and turned to Prim who had come back in from tending Lady. Katniss sat down on a chair and Prim sat on her lap so Katniss could brush out her hair. Prim's hair was wavy from being in a braid like Katniss's, so Katniss brushed it out and rebraided it. Prim went in their room to change into her nightgown and Katniss reached in her pocket. She came back with a roll. Peeta must've given it to her. She broke it in half and rolled it across the table for Haymitch. She ripped her piece in half and left it on the table for Prim, then stuffed the other piece in her mouth. Prim came out and smiled at the roll, and Katniss went in the room to change. Haymitch yelled into Katniss's room, "You seen your mother?" She yelled back, "She's staying at her friend's house."

Prim frowned and twisted around. "Can I sleep with you, Katniss?" Katniss came out in a pair of ratty sweatpants and a baggy shirt. "Yes," she said. Everyone stood in the kitchen for a moment while Katniss locked the door and the windows, and then went their seperate ways to go to sleep.

Haymitch lay on his cot, facing the fire, his new blanket draped over him. It was the most comfortable he'd been in a long time. Prim's cat Buttercup sauntered in front of him and hissed. Haymitch just stared at him until he went away. Just as he was about to fall asleep, Haymitch heard footsteps beind him. He twisted over just in time to see Prim, in her nightgown and bare feet, creeping up behind hm. "What's wrong?" Haymitch whispered. Prim shook her head, folding her hands behind her. She stared at her feet for a moment, then walked around Haymitch to grab a piece of wood and gently poke it into the fire. She whispered, "Stay warm." Haymitch watched her. She smiled a bit more at him, leaned forward, and said, "Quack!"

XOXOXO

"No! No!" Prim shrieked, kicking around in the bed. Katniss gently shook her awake and pulled her into a hug when she started. "It was me, Katniss," Prim said through tears, "they picked me." Katniss held Prim's face against her chest, stroking her hair, and cooed, "No, they're not gonna pick you. Your name's only in once. They won't pick you." She laid Prim back down and peeked out the door, seeing that Haymitch was gone. There was a twenty dollar bill on the table. That would last a long time.

"Try and get some sleep, okay?" Katniss asked, slipping out of the bed. She pulled the covers up to Prim's chin and padded out into the kitchen. Mom was up, and she had laid an outfit for Katniss on her bed. Katniss nodded her thanks and went to change, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep anymore. When Katniss emerged back into the kitchen, Prim was sitting there, wiping tears off her face. Mom patted her cheek and helped her get dressed.

Katniss made the long walk into town and went straight to the bakery, where she was told Peeta was bathing upstairs. She noticed Mrs. Mellark glaring at her from the backroom, but when Katniss smiled at her she turned away. Mr. Mellark was surprised when she handed him the twenty dollar bill, but he got her bread anyway. While she waited, Peeta came downstairs with a pink towel around his waist and he was using another towel to dry off the back of his neck. He didn't even notice Katniss standing there. He leaned around the corner and said, "Dad? When are we gonna open? Don't let anyone in- I'm naked!" Mr. Mellark chuckled and yelled back, "You sayin' I should kick your girlfriend out?"

Peeta froze and then looked around, finally noticing Katniss standing there in her reaping clothes. She smiled at hi, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Nice towel," she commented. Peeta smiled back, but he too wasn't really happy. He draped his towel over his shoulders, noticing for the first time the chill blowing through the bakery. He leaned in and pecked Katniss on the cheek, then pursed his lips. "I don't know what to say..." he trailed off. Katniss shrugged. "'Good luck' works," she said. Peeta nodded and said, "Good luck." She felt a pang of sadness. She leaned in and slipped her hands under the towel around his shoulders to hug him. He hugged her back with the corners of the towel still clutched in his hands. His wet hair left a dark blue patch on her shoulder.

"I love you," Katniss whispered, biting her lip to focus on not crying. Peeta turned his head so that his nose was pressed against her neck. He inhaled. "I love you, too," he said. They embraced for a few more moments, then Peeta shivered again. Katniss pulled away and instructed, "Go get dressed." He nodded, leaning in to kiss her once more. It wasn't wamr like the ones they usually had. They both seemed so distant... Dead.

"Wear something nice," she stated flatly. He nodded and went back upstairs to get dressed. The baker smiled sadly at her and gave her a bag. The bag felt heavier than normal. That was how he said goodbye, she guessed.

Katniss went directly back home so that everyone could eat before the reaping. Prim was just pulling her shirt on when Katniss walked in. She put the bag on the table and stooped to tuck in the back of Prim's shirt. She stood again to open the bag and gave everyone a piece of bread. It was warm. Hot, even. It saddened her to think that this might be the last time they ate as a family.

XOXOXO

Prim shuffled toward the twelve-year-old group and Katniss stood with the people in her age group. Across the pathway she caught Peeta's eye. He kissed his fingertips and gave her a small wave. None of the boys laughed like they normally would have. He mouthed 'I love you' and Katniss almost started crying. She mouthed it back and then stood stiffly, staring straight ahead. The overly exuberant Effie Trinket made her way on stage, where Mayor Undersea waited. Haymitch stumbled up there, too, and Katniss's stomach fell to her feet. He was drunk. Not as apinfully drunk as she'd seen him before, but he was drunk.

Mayor Undersea gave his speech and Effie Trinket talked about some things that no one cared about. Katniss couldn't take her eyes off the giant glass ball that held every girl name. _Not Prim,_ she thought, _anyone but Prim..._

Effie Trinket trilled into the microphone, "Ladies first!" That's what caught Katniss's attention. Her head flicked up and she felt her heartbeat in her ears as Effie's flowery pink talons circled around the rim of the glass ball. She finally stuck her hand down in and pulled out a slip of paper. Katniss's breath hitched. Effie paused for a moment, a moment in which everyone in 12 stopped breathing, and called out a name.

Lilabeth Finn.

It wasn't Prim.

_It wasn't Prim._

**I am so, so sorry this took so long. It's kind of a disappointing chapter for taking so long, right? Well, I plan to have another up tonight. The end is near! I mean, of the story. Loti. Tell me what you guys want to see happen here. I mean, I know where I'm going with this, I have a plan, but small plot twist ideas are always appreciated. Not a long note today, I'm gonna get typing! I like to look at my nails while I type. They're sparkly. Loti. **

**Did you guys see the Hunger games movie? There was NOT enough kissing between Peeta and Katniss. Can I get a witness? (Witnesses review with 'Hallelujah'. Okay?) Loti. **


	13. Chapter 13

Katniss clasped her hands and pressed her thumbs to her forehead, thanking God. "It wasn't Prim!" she whisper yelled. But then her joy evaporated. That girl meant something to someone. She had people who loved her. And there was still Peeta to think about.

The girl had to be helped up on the stage. Katniss didn't recognize her. She was probably closer to Prim's age; she looked only 14. Effie waved her up the stairs and then moved over to the boys' ball. She did that swirling thing around the edge of the ball and then reached in, picked out a slip, and announced in the microphone, "Clay Grover." Someone in the parents' section shrieked in agony and a tall boy walked forwad from the seventeen-year-old walked forward. Effie pretended not to hear the woman, obviously the boy's mother, crying and held each of the tribute's hands high in the air. "District Twelve, I give you your brav tributes!" She dropped their hands quickly and started off in a delicate clap, but seeing that nobody joined her, stopped and shoved the tributes toward the door. A man dragged the woman away and the crowd dispersed, glad they had been spared from the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games.

Prim bursted into tears and ran into the arms of her mother, and Katniss pushed through the now thinning crowd to find Peeta. Tears were streaming down both of their faces when their arms found each other. Their faces were smashed together in a kiss, and Peeta picked Katniss up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed so hard it hurt. He grabbed both sides of her face and held her close to him, crying, "We're okay!" Katniss nodded and kissed him harder, right there, in a skirt, in the middle of the town.

He spun her around and then let her stand again. He grabbed her hand and without looking back they ran to his house. He'd never made it up the stairs so fast in his life.

XOXOXO

Peeta shoved a shirt in the same bag he'd taken to Katniss's house the last time while pulling another over his head. He yelled down the stairs, "I'm going to stay at Katniss's house, Dad!" Katniss buttoned the top button on her blue shirt, took a deep, shaky breath, and went down the stairs first, Peeta following her. Mr. Mellark nodded and waved to Katniss, smiling. "I'm glad you guys are safe this year. Have fun," he said, handing them a loaf of bread. Peeta laughed at the 'have fun' part and Katniss elbowed him. He smoothed down his hair in the back then hugged his dad with one arm. Katniss took the bread and joked, "You'll be out of food by the time I'm done here." Mr. Mellark smiled and wiped off his ever-floury hands. "I wouldn't be happier to give it to anyone else," he said. Katniss smiled and smoothed her braided style again and then Peeta held the door for her.

They held hands as they walked to Katniss's house. Most of the houses on the way were lit up and had a lot of people in them. They were celebrating their children's safety. Somewhere in the district, two houses were locked tight, grieving.

Katniss walked in the door. Prim was waiting in a chair by the fire, stroking Buttercup's fur. Her face lit up when Peeta stepped in the door and she jumped up, knocking a furious Buttercup on the floor. She hugged the both of them around the waist, crushing her face into Katniss's stomach. "We're safe!" she yelled happily. Peeta patted her back and Katniss smiled down at her, smoothing down her hair. "Yeah, we are," Katniss said.

Mom stood up and hugged them all, so Prim was caught in the middle. Katniss slowly returned the hug and then Mom jumped back. She looked down at Prim and said, "Prim, would you like to go get a new dress?" Prim gasped up at her. "Can we afford that?" she asked. Mom smiled a bit and nodded. "I've saved a bit. Katniss?" she asked. Katniss shook her head and nodded toward the door. "Have fun. Better get going. It's getting dark."

Mom nodded and Prim jumped up and they left the house. Peeta gave Katniss a soft smile and Katniss said, "I think I'm gonna turn in early. Just let me go change." Peeta nodded and sat down at the table, looking through the book Prim had left there. He learned that ants don't sleep. Katniss came out in her sweatpants and a t-shirt, and that was just fine with Peeta.

She swept a dramatic hand toward her room. "Make yourself at home," she said sarcastically when Peeta pulled his shirt off. Peeta gestured to his toned stomach. "Does this bother you?" he asked. Katniss shook her head and pulled back the covers. Peeta crawled in, his back to the wall, and Katniss followed. Night had just begun to fall outside, leaving barely enough light to see each other's bodies on the white sheets.

XOXOXO

The rain poured outside, splattering on the windows and turning the hard-packed earth to muck. Peeta draped his arm over Katniss's midsection, pulling her closer to him in his sleep. Katnis grumbled for a moment and then wiggled to get comfortable. She sniffed, and they slept longer.

Prim and Mom were awake in the next room over, watching the first day of the Games on their old TV. The odds for the district weren't too good this year, with the girl scoring a 6 and the boy with a 7. Mom hadn't bothered to wake them up; she knew they didn't want to watch that.

Mom had slowly come back to them. She was glad for the help around the house when Haymitch had come, and she was happy to see Katniss happy with this boy. She was willing to look past their nights in her room to keep her happy.

Prim covered her eyes and leaned into Mom's side, whimpering. The bloodbath had just started, and already the girl from the district was dead. Sword through the throat. Mom thought she could hear the girl's family crying from here. The boy, obviously directed by Haymitch, had run in the opposite direction, away from the fighting. He had no supplies.

Peeta snuggled down in Katniss's hair, smiling. He was thinking about yesterday at his house, the way she sounded when she said "I love you," and the way her skin felt against his...

Katniss shot straight up, scaring Peeta so much he yelled. Prim scurried to the doorway and asked, "You okay?" Her face became red as she noticed Peeta was not wearing a shirt, and the shirt Katniss _was_ wearing was very... ripped. And torn. And hanging off her body. Katniss gasped for air for a moment and then nodded. She heaved a sigh and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just, uh, had a bit of a nightmare. How are we doing?" she asked. Prim's eyes fell to the floor and she mumbled, "One left." Katniss sighed and laid back down. Prim turned to join her mother.

Peeta tapped Katniss shoulder and she turned over to face him. She had her hands clasped in front of her heart, curling in on her herself. Peeta hugged her around her shoulders and touched their foreheads. "What did you have a nightmare aobut?" Peeta asked quietly. Katniss shrugged and shook her head. "The usual," she muttered. Peeta waited to see if she would elaborate. She stared at her hands for a moment and then said, "My father. He died in a coal mine explosion." Peeta nodded, pulling her closer. "I know," he said quietly. "I thought about telling you I loved you when that happened. Just so you wouldn't feel so alone."

Katniss looked up at him. "Why didn't you?" she asked. Peeta stared back carefully. "Because I knew you would act on emotion instead of thought. You've always been like that." He smiled, and Katniss did too.

He kissed her cheek and she smiled sadly. "Haymitch said he'd be my father," Katniss said. Peeta raised an eyebrow. "And how do you feel about that?" he asked. KAtniss shrugged again and said, "I guess it's okay. Prim needs someone like that. I think I do, too," she whispered.

She used her hips to move closer to Peeta, and he spalyed a hand over her thigh. She kissed him and he kissed back, and they just stayed like that. It wasn't desperate or passionate. They just laid like that and forgot about the world. Forgot about the starvation that claimed so many hard-working people, forgot about Peeta's mother judging a girl from the Seam. Forgot about the 12 year old girl in the livingroom without a father, the wife without a husband. The Capitol and their mean, entitled ways, the bloodthirsty Gamemakers. The people of the screwed up nation who enjoyed watching innocent children die. They kissed and forgot, and Peeta made her his.

**I hope this pleased! Just so you know, they didn't do... THAT until the end of the chapter. It sounded, I noticed, like they did after the reaping, but they didn't... Okay? Cool. Okay. Read and review, lovies!**


	14. Chapter 14

Peeta ripped a corner off the loaf of bread he was holding and gave it to Prim. She took it from him but didn't eat it. Nobody could eat. The old TV rolled a few times, but other than that they could see in perfect clarity what was happening in the Games. 12's last tribute, Clay Grover, had been treed by the Careers. They poked at him with spears and cussed and he scrambled higher up the weak branches. The smallest Career accepted a knife from the Career in charge and started to scale the tree. She smiled menacingly up at him, and his shaggy hair fell in front of his eyes. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

The girl was about two branches under him when Clay kicked her hard in the face. Her neck snapped back and she cursed. Her grip faltered and she stabbed the knife in the tree, trying to create a handhold. She never got the chance. She fell backwards out of the tree, arms spread wide, and landed on her back, all the breath _whooshing_ from her lungs.

The Careers leaned over her, concerned that they had lost their most manuverable player. Clay reached down, pulled the knife out of the tree trunk, and made the twenty foot drop from the other side of the tree. He stumbled and his ankle made a sickening crack, but he kept running, the knife gripped tightly in his hand. Katniss pumped her fist in the air and whispered, "Yes!" and Prim smiled.

The TV screen changed to Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith sitting at a desk, a projection of the Games live on the wall behind them. Caesar leaned on his elbow and turned to face the projection, which showed a replay of Clay stealing the knife. Caesar said, "Wow. He's a brave kid. I think the tributes we saw here are going to have it out for him. If they find him, I hope they won't make it painful."

Dramatic music played in the background and the TV panned back to a full screen of the live Games.

XOXOXO

It was night in the arena, and Clay was huddled by a tree. Rain poured down and water dripped off of strands of Clay's hair. He had only the jacket he'd started with in the arena and the knife he'd stolen from the Career girl. The screen panned to other tributes to show how well _they_ were faring in the rain, in their makeshift caves and warm fires and sleeping bags, while Clay was freezing to death. Clay had received a parachute that held a pot of broth and some matches, but even he wasn't too stupid to know the matches wouldn't work in the rain.

When the rain lightened up he moved northward in search of better shelter. He found a shelf of rock by the river that he crawled under, huddling against the rock wall, and smiled a little. His blue fingers fumbled for the matches in his pocket and he found a few dry twigs and pine needles. Katniss cursed at the TV- didn't he know that the smoke would let others know where he was?- but then accepted that he was cold and needed some warmth.

He rubbed his hands over the fire and got on his knees in front of it. His eyes closed and he leaned forward slightly. There was a slight humming in his throat as he warmed his hands. The screen flicked to the same Careers who had treed Clay walking in a line so their numbers wouldn't be discovered. The screen slowly panned up to show the column of smoke where Clay was, asleep on his side.

Prim got up and walked into the kitchen, mumbling to Buttercup, and Peeta sighed. They would get him now. A parachute quickly floated down and anyone could see there was a note on the top that said "WAKE UP!" but it landed too far away and Clay was asleep.

The Careers bursted through the foliage across from Clay's shelf and immediatel stopped. The biggest boy in front grinned evilly and held his hand out to his side. Someone put a huge curved knife in his hand and he walked forward. The girl Clay had kicked, a bruise coloring her nose and right cheek, followed while the rest watched guard. The boy handed the knife to the girl, who leaned over Clay's sleeping body and smirked. She held the knife above her head, blew on Clay's face, and he woke up. Just as his mouth opened in horror the knife came down, and Peeta pulled Katniss's face into his chest.

There was a grunting sound as the girl stabbed him again and then high-fived the boy. He picked up the gift that Clay had received, put it in the pocket of his waterproof jacket, and then left in search of the other tributes. The lone cannon boomed, and Katniss thought she could hear Clay's mother screaming from her house in town.

XOXOXO

It was late into the night and Katniss and Peeta were whispering to each other when Haymitch quietly opened the door. He left his empty bottle on the doorstep, hoping the hard rain would wash it away, and came inside, soaking wet. Prim was already by his side, helping him peel off his drenched jacket, when Katniss and Peeta made it into the kitchen. He was sitting in his chair, staring at the wall, and said nothing. Prim wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, that medic-look finding its way onto her face. She was completely focused on helping the patient. She was no longer Prim. She was Dr. Everdeen.

"Peeta, would you please put some wood on the fire?" Peeta nodded and moved over to the woodpile kept inside the door. The rain poured outside. It was deafening against the roof. "Katniss, I need more blankets. He's way too cold," Prim said. Katniss nodded and retrieved the blanket from the spare cupboard in her mother's room. It had a few holes in it, but had kept the three of them warm since forever.

Haymitch said flatly, "That's how they thought he would die. In the rain. They thought he would freeze. They bet on it that he would freeze." Peeta was staring at him now, sadness etched into his features. Katniss leaned forward and folded the blanket around his shoulders. He shivered unconsiously. He was still in the Capitol, watching his tributes being murdered. Just like every year.

Katniss went over to the cupboard and sliced a piece of their freshest bread off for Haymitch. It wasn't flavored or sprinkled with cinnamon- it was just white bread. She turned around and quietly gave it to Peeta, mumbling, "It should soak up the alcohol." Peeta nodded sullenly and held it out to Haymitch. He bit into it. Mom was still asleep, and Prim waved them away. "He just needs rest," she said. Katniss looked at Haymitch worriedly. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" she asked. Prim nodded once, tightening the blankets around his shoulders. She asked him if he could stand and he nodded, and she led him to his cot. He laid down and Prim tucked him down into his covers. He shivered again, and she stirred up the flames in the fire. She looked so small next to him.

The flames in the fire roared just about the highest Katniss had ever seen them. Katniss could feel the heat from the other side of the room, and Haymitch's muscles seemed to relax. His head turned toward the fire and he sighed. Katniss walked in her bare feet to the door. The cold wooden floor bit into her toes and stung the heels of her feet, making her speed up. She double-checked the deadbolt on the door and pulled all the curtains shut. School would be cancelled. Everyone would be mourning tomorrow.

Katniss followed Peeta back into her room and they sunk down into the now cold sheets, snuggling into each other for the warmth. Katniss sighed and looked up at the ceiling and Peeta rubbed her arm. "Try and get some sleep," he said.

XOXOXO

School was cancelled. Prim and Mom were still asleep. Haymitch had gotten up early and went outside. Katniss had thought she should follow him, but Peeta convinced her that he would want to be alone. Peeta packed his things up and said he was going to take some bread to the Grover family. He kissed Katniss on the lips while she was still asleep, and this woke her up. Her eyes were tired but she was aware of her surroundings, and she gently touched his cheek. "You want me to walk you?" she asked quietly. Peeta shook his head and put a gentle hand on her wrist. He kissed her again. "No. Get some sleep. I love you, Katniss." She leaned up and whispered against his lips, "But not as much as I love you." He smiled and touched the tip of her nose with his finger. He pushed her back on the bed and covered her up. She sniffed and then sighed, as if she had fallen asleep, and watched out of her window to make sure Peeta was gone.

She jumped out of her bed and shoved her feet in her boots and walked out the door. She started off in the direction she'd seen Haymitch going in and whispered, "Haymitch!"

**Sorry it's been so long! School's just officially let out- I am now a qualified ninth grader! I hope I haven't lost all my readers; you were all so pretty. **

**Review, and stay fabulous. =)**


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